*** You may learn some things that are not easy to swallow. But please keep reading. Ignoring facts will not stop these terrible things from happening. There is a happy story along the way. :)***
When you lose someone or something that has been an integral part of your life, your natural coping response is to grieve. The path to veganism has been one that I have had to grieve throughout. All of my favorite dishes contained meat, eggs or dairy, and so in making the decision to become a vegan I have had to detach myself from positive associations with animal products. The big question is "why would someone do such a thing? Isn't it easier to just keep living your normal life?" Yes, it most definitely would have been easier to continue living as I had been.
The reality, however, is that the more I learned about factory farming, the less I could bear to support it. Are you aware that "free range" chickens must share their "open space" with hundreds of other chickens? Not to mention that most of them can't walk because they have been so severely neglected, and pumped with hormones to drastically increase their growth period to expedite the product to the shelf (aka. quicker growth + less time and money to feed the livestock = more money for the industry). $$$. That's what is numero uno. Has no one else noticed the correlation between our hormone infused food and the giant "next generation"? Human and animal health and well being are of no concern to the meat, egg and dairy industries.
Eggs. Oh eggs; since boy chicks are useless to the egg industry, their future is a device much like a wood chipper. All the little chicks are sent down a conveyor belt and are checked, by employees, to determine their sex. The females are sent to the factory to be neglected, abused and then slaughtered once they are no longer laying eggs (their meat can not be eaten because of the years of neglect). The male chicks are crushed alive.
I am an active volunteer for a farm refuge, Teja's. The owner is living in poverty to save animals from factory farms. It is absolutely heartbreaking to see the state of the animals coming from our local farms.
Happy Story Time!The last time I was at Teja's I was petting an enormous pig (he was pumped with hormones during his "stay" on the factory farm). He was enjoying his little pat down so much that I put him to sleep. The best part, however, was when an other pig trotted over to get in on the petting action, and immediately dropped to the ground, rolled over and demanded that I rub his belly (very much the same behaviours as dogs)!! When I briefly stopped petting pig number 1, he nuzzled me with his snout to let me know that he was not finished being petted. :D
When exposed to real live factory farm animals, who have incredible personalities and affection, it is absolutely crushing to imagine their initial fate, and the fate of those who have not been rescued. How is it that we can disconnect ourselves from the animals on our plate, but pour so much love into our pets? The animals on your plate are little different from those living under your roof.
I strongly encourage you to make informed decisions when supporting these industries. There are 2 excellent documentaries that are eye opening and informative and I would be eternally grateful if you find the courage to watch one or both. Although based in the United States, Canada has similar if not identical problems that are outlined in both of these documentaries.
Food Inc.:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food,_Inc.
Forks Over Knives:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forks_Over_Knives
Although I have had to grieve the loss of my habits and favorite foods, I no longer have to grieve for the animals who suffered beyond imagination to provide me with such empty pleasure. I still, however, have to grieve for those animals on others' behalf.
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