An animal has mind aka soul. In the soul of an animal it can experience emotions such as:

Fear
Pleasure
Happiness
Sadness

Any pet owner will be able to confirm this or just google cats or dogs being skinned alive to see the true face of terror.

A plant on the other hand, although alive in the sense of it being an organism, it has no mind or soul in which emotions or spirits are experienced. The plant is one step up from a rock. which is also a living entity but no one throws rocks in the faces of the vegan argument.

Animals are really are little cousins. The link between the plant and us. It is our duty to protect them, not consume them as the other animal does. This is what makes us human. If you consume animals, you are thus an animal.

Thank you for reading.