There probably isn’t a person out there that hasn’t spied a Scooby-Doo cartoon in their lifetime. Alright, that’s a bit of a reach — but I can clearly remember watching it while growing up in the 80s; which isn’t bad for a cartoon that debuted on September 13, 1969.

Anyways, we’re probably all familiar with the character Shaggy Rogers — the goofy, cowardly slacker that’s constantly-hungry, along with his partner-in-crime Scooby-Doo. What you might not know is that Shaggy was originally voice by none other than legendary radio host Casey Kasem — something he continued doing for a staggering twenty-eight years!

After Kasem went vegetarian, he lobbied Hanna-Barbera to change Shaggy’s diet to reflect this. Apparently, those efforts were unsuccessful and Kasem left in 1995 after he was asked to perform the voice for a Burger King Kids’ Club commercial. Flash-forward to 2002 and Casey was brought back to the world of Scooby-Doo after producers agreed Shaggy would become a strict vegetarian. Now you know why “Scooby Snacks” are plant-based!

With Kasem retiring this past July 4th after thirty-nine years of counting down the hits on his American Top 40 program, we thought it fitting to salute the man for giving us so many laughs as kids, tunes to groove to, and for promoting the veg scene. Kasem once said, “What’s terrific today is the idea that as a vegetarian you are not only making a contribution to the animals, but also to your health and the safety of the planet.”

Good luck, Casey!

via VegetarianStar

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About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

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