BIG OR SMALL. No matter which animal it is, veganism aims to reduce animal suffering and it is committed to a more compassionate society towards animals. This includes avoiding products made from animals.

Vegans believe killing is not justified. Ultimately, humans take away life. Other animals do not ‘give up their life’ as some people believe – they have not given consent to be slaughtered. In over 95% of cases they are killed prematurely:

  • Cows, for example, could live to well over 20 years of age, while on 'dairy' farms they are usually shot between 3-4 years of age when milk production is no longer considered 'profitable'. Cows bred for 'beef' meat are killed sooner.
  • Broiler chicks are just 6 weeks old and grown too rapidly to sustain their own weight and heart when they are killed. Chickens could live to 10 years old.
  • Pigs are slaughtered when they have reached a certain weight, which will be later in organic systems than in intensive farms, but they are typically killed between 4-6 months of age, while they could reach 15 years.
  • Sheep can also live to 15 years but depending on whether they are slaughtered as lambs or later, they are shot and bled between 3-10 months of age.
  • Every week in the UK 3,000 male calves are killed shortly after birth, usually within days, and over 40 million day-old chicks are killed each year, including those from organic farms. Males do not secrete bodily fluids destined for offspring (cow's milk), or lay eggs like hens do. Calves are either shot or exported alive to mainland European countries where they are kept.
     
 

A lot of people opt for a vegan lifestyle because of animal exploitation. We all know that animals have emotions and feelings. This will be confirmed to you by those who have pets. Animals in industry live in poor conditions, very short life even if their lifespan is much longer. Vegan philosophy believes that all living beings have the right to life and freedom.

 

Roughly 65 billion land animals and over a trillion (!) marine animals are used and killed as commodities per year, merely to satisfy human taste preferences. 

 

However, avoiding animal products is one of the most obvious ways you can take a stand against animal cruelty and animal exploitation everywhere.
 

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