#1 Cows are loving and playful animals. Many enjoy affection and cuddling, and they sprint and jump into the air when they are excited!

#2 Newborn calves are torn away from their mothers shortly after birth in the dairy industry, causing severe distress to both the mothers and calves. Cows are social animals who forge strong bonds with each other and especially their calves. The cows are known to bellow and cry out for many days after this heartbreaking separation, longing for their babies to be returned.

#3 Chickens are much more intelligent than most of us realize. They are able to count, understand object permanence, and are able to remember and recognize more than a hundred different faces.  They also experience REM sleep, which means they can dream!

#4 Male chicks born into the egg industry are killed by being thrown alive into a grinding machine. Unable to lay eggs, they are deemed worthless by the egg industry, so these sensitive animals are callously disposed of on the day they are hatched.

#5 Pigs are curious, playful, and social animals with individual personalities, just like our companion cats and dogs. They have advanced cognitive abilities and can even learn to solve puzzles!

#6 Piglets have their testicles ripped out and tails cut off without anesthetic. These excruciating procedures are often botched, leaving piglets to suffer from herniated intestines and severe infections.

#7 Fish have impressive learning capabilities and long-term memories. Studies have shown that they can even use tools. They also have complex social structures and cooperate and communicate with one another in intelligent ways.

#8 At the processing plant, fish are often skinned alive while fully conscious. Fish experience pain and fear, just like other animals, but do not have the vocal cords to scream.

#9 While standard farming practices would be illegal if committed against dogs or cats, the Federal Animal Welfare Act excludes farmed animals raised for food. Are farmed animals really so different from the dogs and cats we know and love? In fact, they are very similar and are capable of feeling pain and joy in identical ways.

#10 When farmed animals are referred to as “free range,” “humanely raised,” and other similar phrases, this is very far from the truth. These are primarily marketing terms, and in reality these animals suffer the majority of the same practices and always suffer the same horrendous fate– a terrifying and painful slaughter.

Farmed animals are sensitive creatures with complex emotional lives. When forced to endure the cruelties of the animal agriculture industry, they experience tremendous pain, fear, and suffering, just as we would. Most of us want to avoid causing unnecessary harm to others, and because of this, more and more people are choosing to make a difference for animals by leaving animal products off their plates. This growing trend not only helps animals, it benefits human health and reduces our impact on the environment. Every time you choose to eat compassionately, you are making a difference!

If you’d like to learn more, download our free Veg Starter Guide!