Meet Julia and her baby piglet (pictured above). Julia once once endured the horrific life of a breeding sow on a factory farm.
Mother pigs like Julia spend most of their lives confined to gestation crates — a cage so narrow that she cannot turn around for months at a time. These highly intelligent animals are driven crazy from this extreme confinement, suffering severe distress and dejection. Many bite the metal cages until their mouths are bloody, desperately trying to escape.
When given the opportunity, mothers like Julia enjoy running around with their piglets, playing in water, and cuddling up together at night. Julia gave birth shortly after she as rescued, and is thankfully living happily at a sanctuary with her beloved piglets.
Sadly, when farmed piglets are born in factory farms they are taken away from their mothers and subjected to painful mutilations shortly after birth. Tail docking, teeth clipping, and castration are all performed without any anesthetic. As a result of these procedures, some piglets suffer severe infections and ruptured intestines. These piglets are considered useless and are commonly killed by being grabbed by the leg and repeatedly slammed into the ground.
Raised in metal pens indoors, never to see the light of day, all piglets will be ruthlessly slaughtered at only 6 months old.
More and more people are deciding to stand against this cruelty by leaving animals off the menu. With so many meat substitutes on the market, you can help animals without sacrificing any of the flavors you enjoy. Common products such as bacon, sausage, and BBQ sandwiches, can all be made cruelty-free with simple and tasty substitutions. To learn more, check out our free Veg Starter Guide!
Photo Credit 1: Farm Sanctuary
Photo Credit 2: Eco Watch