This is a paper I wrote for my lit class. I put a lot of research into it,
and I hope that you will read it. If you can think of additions or
improvements, by all means, message me or add a comment.
Being on the receiving end of what goes on in a slaughter house is
horrific, even in the best of circumstances. The stun guns used to
incapacitate the animals is faulty at best, especially if the wielder is
inexperienced. Frightened animals may thrash their heads, suffering many
shots before being knocked out. Even then too many animals are conscious
during the process, which includes having throats cut, dismemberment, and
being dumped into boiling water to remove hair.
The slaughter of commonly consumed animals is no more humane. Admirably,
some people look for packages labeled ‘grass-fed’ and ‘humanely raised’,
however even these are not what one would expect. No matter the situation,
they are all slaughtered in the same manner. Shipping is hazardous to the
animals- hundreds of thousands of them die or are injured in transit.
Animals are sent through a pipeline. They can smell the blood and, chances
are, hear the distressed noises their companions are making. They have to
walk in or be prodded, knowing that it is dangerous.
The slaughter and mistreatment of animals is justified by the fact that
they are ‘dumb’ and or don’t have emotions. Neither of these things are
true. In fact, research has led scientists to believe that animal’s
cognitive functions are superior to ours. Cows are very intelligent, make
friends, and choose herd leaders based on intelligence. Pigs are as smart
as a three year old child and have been taught to play simple games.
Chickens have proven to be more intelligent than dogs and cats.
Pigs are kept in cramped gestation crates their entire life. Shortly after
birth, piglets are taken from their mother. Their tails are ripped off,
teeth pulled out and the males are castrated, all without anesthesia.
Chickens are often kept in cramped cages, and have their beaks cut off.
Even free range is not necessarily ‘free range’- it is sometimes hundreds
and hundreds of chickens in a small warehouse. Cows that are not free range
and grass fed are kept in small stalls where they are fed corn- which does
not give them proper nutrients, and can hardly move around, standing in
their own filth until slaughter. They have their horns cut or burned off
and males have their testicles ripped out.
Tens of thousands of American horses are purchased from auction or stolen
from their owners to be shipped in overcrowded trailers without food,
water, or rest over long distances. Hundreds of thousands of European
horses are killed annually and hundreds of thousands more kilos of
horsemeat are imported from Canada and Mexico. American horses are not fit
for consumption. Treated as pets, they are given medicines and antibiotics
that are toxic to humans throughout their lifetime. In Europe, Italy,
Belgium, France and Luxembourg are the main consumers of horses. Other EU
countries such as the UK and Ireland strongly oppose it, and even in the
aforementioned countries only around 50% of the population consider
horsemeat to be acceptable.
Horse slaughter is not and can’t ever be humane. Shipping itself is cruel
and dangerous. Skittish creatures by nature, they are difficult to stun
properly. Before plants were closed in America, there were many counts of
severe violations of humane and ethical laws, as well as horrible injuries
to the horses.
Horses taken to slaughter are most often young and healthy, and could still
lead a good life with a good home. There are numerous, more efficient and
less harmful ways to regulate the horse population without slaughter. Horse
slaughter has a negative impact on taxpayers financially due to the need to
divert resources towards their regulation.
In Asia, the consumption of dogs and cats is common and not limited to poor
countries- South Korea has the 14th largest economy, yet an estimated 2.5
million dogs and thousands of cats are slaughtered each year. Vietnam,
Thailand, China and the Philippines all contribute to dog and cat
slaughter. There is no legislation concerning or regulation of this
industry- in fact, in Korea, eating dog meat is illegal, but only very
loosely enforced. Because of this, it is profit driven and tax free.
Dogs are treated heartlessly and severely deprived from birth; kept in
small, rusty cages with no shelter in all weather and no water, exercise,
companionship or veterinary care. Their eardrums are often burst so that
they don’t bark. They are often killed through electrocution, hanging,
beating or burning. Cats are often boiled alive. Common myths include that
the more the dog suffers the more health benefits the consumer will have.
Not only is it cruel, it’s not the best dietary option, for people or the
environment. Meat has been linked to heart disease, diabetes, arthritis,
osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s, asthma and impotence. Cutting meat out makes you
50% less likely to develop heart disease and only have 40% of that chance
of developing cancer. Meat eaters are nine times more likely to be obese.
The less meat one consumes, the less likely they are the have these
problems, but even in moderate portions one is more at risk than a
vegetarian or vegan.
If the majority of the population were vegetarian, we could end world
hunger. The food currently fed to millions of livestock could instead be
given to starving people. The same amount of grain that is given to 100
cows can feed 1000 people. The food produced by the slaughter of animals
does not even balance out- 13lbs of food for only 1lbs of edible flesh.
It is easy to see that not only is this industry senselessly horrid, it
affects everyone in a negative fashion. It’s damaging financially,
environmentally, and health wise. Eat less meat, help people and animals.
if you would like to see the sources used for this paper, please message me
