, Author at Vegan Universal

Animal Cruelty Facts—Sentience, The Reality, and Our Quest for Animal Rights!

May 14, 2017 By Cat Robinson and Dishan Mendis Leave a Comment

Whether it was fishing trips with dad, or envying over that ridiculously cool leather jacket, visiting the zoo, or the tempting meat & dairy food choices we made—most of us are/were guilty of participating in carnism & supporting the exploitation of animals in one form or another.

For most people, going vegan and rejecting animal cruelty may not even cross their minds until later in life. So ubiquitous is the societal acceptance of using animals for our own gain, be it for food or for other purposes.

When people enjoy a steak at their favorite restaurant, admiring a tropical bird in an aviary, or purchasing a silk scarf, they may not stop to think of the impact of those choices and actions have on the species that exist behind a psychological wall built by the society at large. It is what goes behind the scenes, the dark activities that are kept very deliberately secret that we need to shed light on.

Animal Sentience, How Should Animals be Treated?

animal cruelty facts, animal rights, animal sentience — Artwork: By Auguste Vimar (1851-1916)

Let’s take a look at these emotions / mental states:

Love
Enthusiasm
Pleasure
Joy
Devotion
Trust
Loyalty
Anticipation
Fear
Surprise
Jealousy
Anger
Pain
Suffering
Sadness
Grief
Sympathy

Now look at these activities & skills:

Animal Homes Structures - Termite Cathedral Mounds - animal cruelty facts, animal rights, animal sentience — Termite Cathedral Mounds (by Ray Norris)

Finding food
Communication
Navigation
Use of tools
Attracting and impressing a partner
Produce & take care of offspring
Socialization
Teamwork
Architecture/building structures
Using survival strategies
Making sacrifices for the benefit of others

You get where we’re going here – these are not just human emotions, skills, and activities. All of the above are demonstrated clearly and repeatedly by various animals. If you’ve ever observed animals or had pets that you loved dearly, you know this to be true.

This is why many dog/cat lovers are appalled by the idea of consuming cats and dogs by certain countries. Probably because they know how lively and sentient these pets can be.

As ironical as it can be, guess what? So are cows, pigs, chickens, sheep, and turkeys. Veganism is about acknowledging the sentience of animals and respecting their rights.

The renowned naturalist Charles Darwin often made references to animals’ ability to feel pain and their many other similarities with us. Science has shown exactly this over and over again.

Animal sentience science fraternity accepts that vertebrate species (animals with a central nervous system) are sentient [1]. Scientists are now finding complex neurons, which were once believed to be unique only to humans, in several species of primates, cetaceans (whales, dolphins, orcas, etc.), and elephants.

There is enough evidence to suggest that invertebrates too can be sentient as they possess a nervous system with many neurons. Just because the anatomy is different it is not a valid reason to disregard their sentience.

Personally, we don’t need a scientist to tell us that animals are capable of joy, empathy, fear, pain, or can learn new skills. We are constantly amazed not just by our own observations of fellow animals, but those we see & understand by means of documentaries and reading.

How Animals Considered as Food are Sentient

Mother cows distressfully cry and search for their calves when the baby and the mom are separated and calves being sold for veal. Just picture yourself as a mom after going through all the emotional distress, the contractions, the pain, the labor & delivery, finally you get to see your baby who becomes your new world. Then within the first 24 hours, your little one will be separated from you and you will no longer see or own your baby because others decide who gets your milk and who owns the baby. We will leave it for you to feel what you would be going through when your joyful new world comes down upon you.
Apparently, cows get excited when they learn to move a lever in a drinking fountain when they are thirsty or when they’re hungry, push a button with their heads to free the grain.
Hens can signal (communicate) danger to her chicks and even may sacrifice her own life to save the chicks. So next time when someone says don’t be a “chicken” tell how awesome chickens are and to watch “chicken run”.
Before they even hatch, chicks are able to have some form of communication with their mother.
Pigs love listening to music, play with each other and have mock fights like dogs.
Cows tend to select their leaders based on ability, maturity, and good social qualities, while harassment, selfish behavior, size, and strength are not considered proper qualities for leadership. Yes, they prefer genuine leaders to fake leaders. A leaf out of their book may help when we choose our leaders.
When turkeys are in farm sanctuaries, they identify their pet visitors and will run to welcome them.

Sentience of Non-Food Animals,

Parrots can solve complex puzzles
Chimpanzees that can be generous
Mice showing empathy towards their own
Monkeys that become furious over the injustice of receiving a lesser food reward for their efforts than their neighbors
Several species show optimism and pessimism [2] (starlings, dogs, honeybees)
Male lions kill hyenas and don’t eat them sending a signal to other hyenas to show, who is in charge
A pack of hyenas can easily chase away lionesses from a carcass to show the power of teamwork

Hyenas Chasing a Lioness - animal cruelty facts, animal sentience, animals are sentient — Hyenas Chasing a Lioness (Kruger Sightings / Image: Wikimedia Commons)

To us, and for many others who adopt a vegan diet, there’s no question about sentience. But for others, we hope the evidence shown by research on animal sentience should help.

Even without the loads of scientific evidence that indicate other animals are sentient and have feelings just as deeply as we do – shouldn’t all creatures be given the benefit of the doubt first? Should we not give animals the rights first, and ask questions later? Should we not cause any damage before we make judgments, just in case?

Research on animal sentience to understand the true range of abilities and experiences of animals may be fascinating from a scientific perspective, but most importantly it should be used in favor of animal rights. With the added awareness of this understanding, it becomes increasingly unethical and illogical to continue to cause animals any harm.

What are Animal Rights?

Animal rights in its simplest form would be the idea that non-human animals are entitled to their own life and freedom, due to their capacity to experience life.

According to Peter Singer, the basic principle of equality requires equal consideration.

Therefore, every creature with a will to live has a right to live free from pain and suffering. After all, life belongs to the creature that carries, lives & experiences it; hence they have every right for it.

Do note that animal rights and animal welfare are two different positions. While animal rights do not consider animals as property and try to abolish commodity status, animal welfare advocates the humane treatment of animals in their use for humans.

Animal Cruelty Facts (The Norm & Reality)

Hens in battery cages, animal cruelty, animal rights, animal sentience — Hens in Battery Cages (image: Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento do Estado de São Paulo Agriculturasp)

Let’s try & keep this brief and get a perspective from many industrial animal farms’ point of view (do note that this may not necessarily be the attitude of all farmers who may do their best to maintain animal welfare, though animal welfare in animal agriculture disregards the premises of animal rights)

Chickens, pigs, cows, turkeys, etc. are all sentient beings, but we just have to treat them as commodities to meet the demand and make profits.
Piglets get stressed by overcrowded conditions. Let’s castrate them shortly after birth, amputate their tails and clip their teeth so they don’t cause any damage or increase costs to our ‘end products’.
Space is expensive. Let’s keep our egg-laying hens in multi-story battery cages – the consumer still pays the same price irrespective of the chickens suffering osteoporosis. Most of the eggs consumed in the US are produced this way, and we’ve got to stay competitive here.
Whether a veal calf moves in its pen or raised immobilized in veal crates, who cares?
A broiler chicken that dies of heart failure because we pumped it with steroids doesn’t fail to attract a buyer!
These male chicks will never lay eggs – grind them in the macerator like useless pieces of garbage.

But dairy cows lead happy lives, frolicking out in the fields with their big-eyed calves like nature intended, right?

Deep down we think you already know the truth. To produce the most milk possible, you need to keep your dairy cows pregnant as much as possible. That inevitably results in calves. The calf will just live 4-5 years if it’s a female. That means it has the potential to produce milk, great!

But taking milk from mom to grow that baby calf into a dairy cow just doesn’t make good business sense now does it? So let’s take it away from mom after a day (come on, we don’t want to be cruel here!) and feed it a replacement milk substitute that will keep it alive long enough until it produces profits – but no longer than that.

The normal lifespan of a cow is around 20 years, but due to the horrendous conditions they are forced to live in; they cease to become ‘profitable’ after about 5 years. Then it’s time to show gratitude for producing profits – the slaughterhouse.

If that calf was born male… well.

Humans seem to be the only adult mammal that likes having milk derived from other mammals even after infancy. This is despite 75% of the world population, apparently being lactose intolerant which is not considered abnormal!

Premature Death Caused By The Factory Farms

Chickens often live to ten years of age. A broiler chicken, on the other hand, is pumped so full of growth hormones, and antibiotics that they grow faster than their heart or skeletal systems can support. They are usually slaughtered at just six weeks of age.

Pigs can live to well over 15 years of age under natural circumstances – yet factory farmed piglets are destined for slaughter as young as 4-6 months.

To avoid harmful behavior in an unnatural environment with crowded confinements and to keep profits over animal’s well-being, farmers routinely make use of the following convenient solutions:

Chick Debeaking - animal cruelty facts, stop animal cruelty, animal rights, animal sentience, animals are sentient, animal exploitation, compassion for animals — Debeaking a chick (by vegnews / http://www.chooseveg.com/eggs.asp)

High stocking density
Restricted movement
Castration
Dehorning
Tusk trimming
Beak-trimming
Blinders
Branding
Ear tagging
Nose ringing
Tail docking
Tongue resection
Teeth cutting

The chances are most of you would never be able to inflict any of these procedures yourself – yet every time you buy prettily packaged meat, dairy or egg products from your supermarket, you support that industry.

Industrialized Factory Farming Cruelty on a Global Scale

With these industries, consideration for sentience has ceased to exist and treat animals as commodities, that come off a highly efficient production line. Upwards of 60 billion, yes, billions of lands animals and over a trillion marine animals are killed every year for human consumption.

The human population is about 7.5 billion as of 2017. If those animals considered equivalent to humans in numbers, it is like committing a mass murder that would eradicate the entire human population in a span of, one and a half months (without considering the marine animals).

Besides the violation of animal rights, factory farming is a major cause of environmental pollution as well.

How to Stop Animal Cruelty and What We Can Do About It

To stop animal cruelty, we need to start with what’s on our plate! If going vegan seems overwhelming for the moment, you can always start with incremental steps towards an ultimate vegan lifestyle. We encourage you to read our post about transitioning to a vegan diet, and it’s a lot easier than you may think.

You should also note that following a vegan diet not only saves animals, but it’s healthful according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics[3]. Therefore it makes no sense to consume animals even on health grounds.

Once You’ve Changed Your Diet, You May Consider Avoiding Other Forms of Animal Exploitation:

Circus Baby Elephant Training - animal cruelty facts, stop animal cruelty, animal rights, animal sentience, animals are sentient, animal exploitation, compassion for animals — Circus Baby Elephant Training (by Heather Norwood / http://www.peta.org)

Circuses, zoos, aquariums and sea worlds
Laboratory testing
Recreational and sport fishing
Hunting / Poaching
The leather, skin, fur, goose down, silk and wool industries
Using animals for film and television productions
By-catch as a result of fishing
Bull, cock, dog fighting, and baiting.
Toro de fuego / Toro júbilo (fire bull)
Rodeos
Using for military and security functions
Using for scientific experimentation and cosmetic / household products testing
The keeping of pet/leisure animals (if your motive is to help an injured, deprived or abused animal & give life, there is no issue. The issue is supporting commercial pet/leisure animal breeding industry which exploits animals e.g. puppy mills)
Use for transportation

Embracing a vegan lifestyle means recognizing above activities as exploitation. If you do care, then not supporting financially or getting involved in such activities are the best ways to show it.

Final Thoughts

Some may have this wishful expression – the animal ‘gave up its life’ for us. But in reality, they didn’t. We took their lives, and we have no excuse for doing so. Discriminating against animals or believing them to be inferior because they belong to a different species is known as speciesism and is as unscientific and unjust as racism or sexism.

Once you’ve changed what’s on your plate, you might find it’s not just your body that starts changing, but the way you think too as you’re driven by compassion for animals. By omitting certain foods, you suddenly start to think about them–”that chicken curry I ate actually used to be a living animal and chances are, that creature suffered terribly in life.”

You’ve made an important connection here. What I buy, what I eat, and how I choose to live my life have a direct impact on other sentient beings with whom I share this planet.

By avoiding animal products you also boldly say to the corporations which make animals suffer, that you will no longer support it!

You’re not giving up animal products – you’re gaining back your health. You’re not giving up burgers and fried chicken – you’re gaining clarity, peace of mind, and freeing yourself from some of the burdens of guilt. You’re not giving up on life – you’re saving lives.

Perhaps, this quote puts it best,

“It is just like man’s vanity and impertinence to call an animal dumb because it is dumb to his dull perceptions.” – Mark Twain

Recommended Posts:

References:

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4494284/

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3158593/

[3] http://www.eatrightpro.org/resource/practice/position-and-practice-papers/position-papers/vegetarian-diets

How to Go Vegan and Stay Vegan Forever

May 13, 2017 By Cat Robinson and Dishan Mendis 4 Comments

If your question of how to go vegan and stay vegan led you to this post, then let us first congratulate assuming you’ve decided to go vegan! Even if you haven’t, this post can help you to a great extent if you’re seeking information as to how it can be done.

Most will easily realize the motives to become a vegan but possibly feel like this girl in the image trying to figure out the path in their vegan journey.

Perhaps you’re looking for some advice on how to begin or how to continue and overcome any hurdles you may have down the line.

That’s what this post is all about. Answering the questions, how to be vegan and stay vegan, without giving up!

There could be many reasons for going vegan for different individuals. Could be due to the suffering of our fellow animals, a desire to improve your health or lose weight. Perhaps you’re concerned over the damage caused to our environment through factory farming.

Let’s see some of the tried and tested tips to go vegan and stay vegan forever…

1. Embrace Your Own Pace!

Some people experience a light bulb moment; something just clicks for them and they decide then and there that they’re going for it firing on all cylinders.

But we’re all different and making progress is infinitely better than doing nothing being overwhelmed by what is after all, quite a lifestyle change!

You don’t have to declare from the rooftop that you’re now a vegan to the whole world and never going to touch any animal products ever again, and later embarrass yourself by falling short.

Don’t feel pressured into going any faster than what feels natural for you.

Truth is, it is about working towards a goal sincerely to the best of your ability and not about getting a label called “vegan” or trying to attain perfection.

The best way to start on a vegan journey is to educate yourself. There is no “one size fits all” approach and like any lifestyle change, it may take some time to find the approach that works best for you. Since eating is something you have to do every day a good way to start is by exploring the different vegan diet options and finding vegan alternatives to some of your favorite meals.

Your adoption initially can be based on certain days, particular meals or even products. It can be as simple as removing meat, eggs, and dairy just one day a week and building from there, or slowly starting to incorporate plant-based alternatives one meal at a time. You may also try adopting a vegan meal just for breakfast or lunch at first. If you find something you like, go with it! Try swapping cow’s milk for soy or almond milk alternatives.

If you tend to eat out a lot, start going for the vegan options on the menu of your local restaurants and find your favorites. If they inspire you enough, try and make them yourself!

Armed with the internet, you’ll find that there’s a vegan alternative to pretty much every non-vegan meal out there. Hence, you don’t have to miss out on any of your favorite foods, if you do your homework or get creative.

If you embrace health benefits of a vegan diet, remember where those benefits come from:

Veggies (including greens)
Fruits
Grains
Nuts & seeds

Gradually incorporate more of them into your daily routine until they start to crowd out the less healthy options.

Like your eyes readjusting to a dark room, you’ll soon find that your taste starts acclimatizing to natural foods that aren’t packed with salt, oil and sugar. Pack some fresh fruits with lunch, have a salad at dinner, or a smoothie for breakfast.

The more veggies, fruits, nuts & seeds you have in your daily diets, you would have less room for the non-vegan options. Most importantly you will find a newly found craving for plant-based foods, which is healthy as well.

Be patient, be gentle with yourself, and you will get there!

If you slip up, you haven’t failed. You’ve learnt something valuable that will help you progress better. Veganism isn’t a destination, it’s an on-going journey to becoming more conscious of the impact you have on yourself and the world around you through the choices you make each day.

All you need to do is focus on making better choices at the moment, one step at a time.

2. Comfortable With the Change? Now Keep Evolving!

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says a vegan diet is only healthy if it’s well-rounded and planned out [1].

Therefore, a diet focused on whole foods in their natural form is the easiest way to ensure you get all the nutrients you require. And it can be ridiculously easy!

Keep your kitchen well stocked with healthy, easy options that you can grab in a hurry. If time is limiting for you, cook large batches of food so you can freeze some. Keep some whole grain muesli or granola, and plenty of fruits, nuts & seeds available for a quick snack.

Do your homework. What foods that you like (that are vegan-friendly) do you need to start putting in your diet? Nuts? Plant milk? Oatmeal? Beans? Greens? See how you can cut out honey, gelatin, and other ingredients sourced from animals as well. You can find many vegan substitutes for these ingredients today.

To keep yourself healthy keep close tabs on nutrients like,

Vitamin B12
Omega 3 fatty acids
Calcium
Iron
Vitamin D
Zinc

Every now and then, you may get a health check-up to make sure your health is in good shape. Though we always recommend getting your nourishment from whole foods as much as possible, if you find it difficult to get certain nutrients from your diet, you can always consider fortified foods or vegan supplements to compensate for any deficiencies (especially keep tabs on vitamin B12).

Be mindful not to get overly addicted to vegan substitutes, but vegan ice creams, cookies, and chocolates can be helpful in breaking the routines and satisfying your sweet tooth! Oh yeah, that’s part of being healthy, keeping yourself happy!

3. Don’t Be Afraid To Experiment!

Embarking on a new diet and lifestyle involves change!

This is an excellent opportunity to discover new taste sensations. Try new things and put a brand new spin on all your old favorites.

You don’t have to be a professional cook to achieve this. You wouldn’t believe the number of meals you can easily prepare from things already in your kitchen or from local groceries.

There are so many vegan recipes available, which you can find in our own website (check recipes section on the top menu), check online and in bookstores that are bound to inspire you!

This is your time to explore, get creative and learn new skills in the kitchen! Woo hoo!

Here are some other quick tips:

- Consider some healthy meat substitutes like mushrooms, jackfruit, eggplant – whatever you fancy!
- If you don’t like the idea of having your tea or coffee plain or black, spoil yourself with some almond or cashew milk so you don’t feel like you’re being deprived of dairy.
- Be experimental and prefer a range of vegan food and recipes to avoid monotony and boredom. Today, there are plenty of foods & vegan brands that you can choose to keep your taste buds happy providing substitutes for meat, eggs, dairy milk & cheese. There are many vegan chocolate brands and fortified food as well!
- Keep your eyes open for the ever-increasing vegan restaurants and other fine dining, casual or fast food chains. Many Mexican, Mediterranean, Italian, and Indian restaurants will have vegan options on the menu! Even at a grill house, you can always make your own meal from sides – some steamed rice, grilled veggies, spinach and baked potato make for a delicious vegan meal. Check our guides for vegan restaurants and eating out as a vegan!
- Apps like Happy Cow are also extremely useful in finding vegan-friendly restaurants when you’re traveling or visiting a new area. Remember to leave a positive review and share a great experience with others!
- If you’re an athlete or bodybuilder you can still adopt a vegan diet without any hesitation. You can get your carbs, protein, and fats with no fuss and there are many role models for motivation!
- Be an ambassador! If you feel you can make a vegan meal which others will enjoy, share it with friends at work or take it to a dinner party and wow them! Not only you will satisfy their appetite but will help them discover how they too can make that transition from eating flesh to savoring fresh, plant-based whole foods.

4. There’s No Need To Break The Bank!

Looking at the price tags on some of the vegan products at the supermarket may give you an impression that some vegan food is expensive – yes, may be the case with faux meats, vegan cheese, and vegan ice cream.

But the healthy whole foods like beans, rice, legumes and other grains are literally some of the cheapest foods in the supermarket.

If you’re on a budget make these the core of your diet and you will almost certainly end up saving money on groceries!

Seasonal veggies and fruits are often surprisingly affordable, especially sourced from a farmer’s market. Cabbage, butternut, pumpkin, spinach, and carrots are usually quite cheap. See what your local selection is like and try to build some meals around it.

Focus your meals around these affordable options:

Seasonal vegetables and fruits
Pulses and legumes like lentils, beans, peas and other varieties
Pasta / Noodles
Rice and other grains like barley, rye, millet, and quinoa
Wholemeal bread
Starchy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash and pumpkin

You can also consider & try growing some of your own spinach, kale and kitchen herbs in your garden to bring down the cost further and have the best quality for you and the family.

One thing is for sure, that a bill for a balanced vegan diet should not be expensive than a non-vegan diet, if anything, you may find yourself saving money. The more creative you become and the more local market knowledge you acquire this becomes a breeze with time.

Check our article with many tips for going vegan on a budget.

5. Ethical Considerations—What About The Non-Vegan Things I Already Own?

Some people feel that once they’ve embraced the ethical side of veganism they shouldn’t continue with any products of non-vegan origin. This is entirely up to you. If you feel guilty of wearing leather shoes, leather jackets or wool coats that you bought before your transition, you can get rid of those.

Others may feel that because these products are not having an influence on demand anymore that there is no reason to throw away such items. Essentially, this decision is up to you and whatever you decide is completely fine, after all, what matters is how you personally feel!

6. Dealing With Family and Friends

Although perceptions are slowly but steadily changing, there are some who may still believe in the inferior myths about vegan diet & lifestyle. Parents can feel especially concerned over the new diet pursuits of their children.

They may also feel that their children or family members are rejecting family tradition by no longer partaking in the same meals the family used to enjoy together.

You know your family better than anyone.

So will they feel reassured if you have some scientific articles & evidence to back your diet & lifestyle? Will it help better to point them in the direction of some successful athletes that follow a vegan diet?

Answers to these questions may help convince your closed ones. Always maintain a positive attitude, and composure.

Tell them you feel great and most family members will be happy for you. Generally, convincing them is best done through example, and dialogue, but not through argument!

Be as respectful as you can, and sometimes, time and patience may be your best tools to solve any continuous resistance. Try bringing some delicious vegan offerings along with you to family occasions so they know you’re doing your best for them.

7. Keep Learning!

One of the most empowering aspects of being a vegan is the doors it opens once you have made the connection between the foods on your plate, products you use, and the world around you.

You become aware of the power that your choices have for the animals on this planet, your health, and the environment.

Once the doors are open, there’s a whole new world to explore.

Expect to learn more about nutrition, health in general, animal & environmental ethics and much more!

Embracing veganism takes a certain amount of courage and remember it has a learning curve which needs time. Hence allow yourself enough time to learn different aspects of veganism and don’t forget to take pride in the progress you’ve made and pat yourself on the back!

8. Remember Your Motives and Don’t Be Afraid To Seek Help

Out of everything you’ve learned so far if we were to tell you the most important thing to remember, that would be your motives for going vegan in the first place.

Your motives could have been to not take part in harming animals, for better health, have the least impact on the planet, etc. Some of these motives could be so profound, the mere remembrance of those would be enough for many to stick to their vegan lifestyle.

You may still have questions like,

How to bake without eggs?
Where can I find vegan chocolate?
How do I tell my family about my decision to go vegan?

If you have these questions, there is nothing to fear! This website is full of information and resources covering different aspects of veganism. Just navigate on the site menu to find out! You can also subscribe to our free newsletter for frequent updates.

There are vegan forums for every lifestyle and plenty of groups you can join on social media that allow you to connect with people who have faced and conquered the issues you might be experiencing!

We live in a connected world and make use of it! You’re certainly not alone and connecting with other vegans in your area or across the globe is a wonderful way to stay motivated and inspired.

Last Thoughts

Now that you know how to become vegan and stay vegan, during any lows you may have, just remember the profound reasons for choosing a vegan lifestyle. Take a deep breath and reflect on all the benefits a vegan lifestyle offered you, and how good it makes you feel.

If you’re struggling with something, there is always help at hand, and there are always new things to try.

Reading educational vegan books, watching informative & inspiring videos, talking, chatting, connecting with other vegans or keeping photos of animals may help a great deal.

By going vegan you really are making a difference to yourself, for the animals and to the environment. Be proud of the amazing & earnest way you’ve chosen to live your life – as a force for good – and make sure you enjoy it!

Related posts:

References

[1] http://www.eatrightpro.org/resource/practice/position-and-practice-papers/position-papers/vegetarian-diets