Why vegan?
Animal welfare
This is probably the most important factor for many people in the Western
world embarking on vegetarianism and veganism. A vegan diet is important to animal rights and to the stopping of animal abuse and suffering because the
majority of animals killed by man are simply for consumption. In addition,
vegans say no to hunting, animal testing and fur trading amongst other things.
By taking any simple action like not eating meat, not buying leather or
not buying animal tested products, vegans are trying to show that human
beings do have a compassionate side.
Factory farming
The factory farm, as opposed to the family farm, is a large scale production
factory run purely for profit, regardless of the suffering animals endure.
In order to maximize profits, large numbers of animals are cramped into tiny
spaces. Their freedom to move about and enjoy what life they have is gone.
Such is the overcrowding that they exhibit stress-related behaviour like
self-mutilation. Extreme breeding and feeding methods force animals to grow
at a fast rate, placing strain on their systems. Many pigs are confined
without natural bedding materials like straw. They are offered no
stimulation and like humans, they dislike both boredom and monotony.
In modern veal production, calves are removed from their mothers after a day
or two and put into restricted conditions (veal crates or wooden stalls)
where they cannot graze and are not allowed any physical contact with others.
Since the tenderness of veal is produced by the lack of muscular development,
the calves are deliberately deprived of any exercise like walking.
The slaughter of animals is certainly not always a quick process. Transporting
animals to the slaughterhouse can often involve long journeys where animals
are kept in hot, confined conditions with no water. Hens suffer broken
wings, pigs may be crammed on top of each other and handlers often use electric
cattle prods. Once in the slaughterhouse, many await a long and painful death.
Dairy farming
Vegetarians who eat eggs or drink milk should spare a thought here.
Dairy cows are made pregnant by artificial insemination every year,
and, for most part of the year, are milked, even during pregnancy.
To increase milk production, growth hormones are used.
After giving birth, the mothers are separated from their calves so that
more milk can be sold and so that males can be sold as veal.
Cows are rendered useless once their milk output decreases. Sooner or later,
they will end up in the slaughterhouse too.
The battery hen is another example of just how cruel man's exploitation of
animals has become. These hens are caged for life, without being able to see
the sunlight or experience such natural activities as scratching and perching.
Studies show that, once released, many hens start to flap their wings and
take quickly to dustbathing which helps maintain the quality of their
feathers. Some hens lay about 300 eggs a year, causing osteoporosis and
broken bones owing to depletion of calcium reserves. Many die from
exhaustion. Whether hens are battery or free range, they are not allowed to
live after egg production has stopped. And like cows, hens produce male
offspring. So each hen represents a male chick which has had to be
slaughtered, either by being gassed in bags or by being thrown alive into
mincers to make animal feed.
Animal experiments
This has surely been a controversial topic which needs no introduction
and one which has caused heated debates. Many people have seen pictures of
rabbits subjected to appalling experiments. The well-known Draize Eye
Irritancy Test involves substances like oven cleaners being introduced into
eyes to observe any signs of irritation. Fortunately, more and more companies
are now doing away with animal testing due to public outcry. Cosmetics,
shampoos and household cleaners are just some of the things tested on live
animals. More frightening are the chemicals and diseases used for medical,
agricultural and defence research. Testing products on animals never guarantees
safety for humans because we are physically different. A classic example is
the drug thalidomide which was proven safe by animal testing but caused severe
deformities. Vivisection, the use of animals in school classrooms and
laboratories, has wasted countless animal lives, not to mention money. Money
is put into animal research in order to find cures for illnesses like cancer.
Most cancers are preventable and many are caused by pollutants, diets, tobacco
and lack of physical exercise. An alternative would be to use such funds to
help prevention in the first place.
Zoos and circuses
Animals have long been used to entertain us but are the animals having
fun themselves? Don't bet on it. Zoos, if they must exist, should provide
their residents with a caring and loving environment which is close to their
natural habitats. Unfortunately, there are not many of these around. The
most barbaric institutions consist of, once again, filthy cramped cages. Animals may show stress and boredom induced behaviours. Many problems simply
boil down to neglect. And where do many of these animals come from in the
first place?
Other animals are forced to perform unnatural acts and tricks in the
circus. They don't choose to. What goes on after the show may involve caging
and beating. The best circuses around are those with human performers only
and there are plenty, including the Cirque du Soleil.
Other websites
Have a look at these Hong Kong based websites:
Asian Animal Protection Network
Lamma Animal Welfare Centre
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals
Animals Asia Foundation
