You didn't know, did you?
Many people are shocked to learn that animal cruelty laws permit the cruel treatment of animals raised and killed for food. For decades, animal protection groups have sought to have these laws changed, without success. Production and profit have been prioritised by governments, and the suffering of these animals has been ignored. All of the practices listed below are routine and legal in Australia today.
Baby chicks are shredded alive
The first day of life for a male chick born into the egg industry is also his last. Since they can't lay eggs, male chicks are considered "worthless" and will either be gassed to death or thrown alive into a grinding machine.
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Pigs suffocate in gas chambers
Whether factory farmed, free range or organic, most pigs killed for their meat in Australia will face the same horrifying fate. The pork industry's 'best practice' method of killing pigs involves suffocation in a gas chamber. It's painful and it's terrifying.
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Chickens are born into a painful, genetic prison
They live only a few weeks, and those weeks are full of suffering. Find out why farming chickens for meat is one of the biggest animal welfare issues in Australia - and the world - today.
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Mother pigs are locked in cages
It is legal in Australia to confine female pigs in cages for weeks on end. An inability to move freely and nurture her piglets can lead to depression. It's a miserable life for these highly intelligent and sensitive animals.
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Farmed animals undergo painful surgical mutilations
Animals feel pain. This is a scientific fact. And yet, in farming industries all over Australia, pieces of animals’ bodies can legally be cut off, sliced open, and burned away - without giving them any pain relief.
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Calves are killed at 1 week old
Every year the dairy industry sends hundreds of thousands of unwanted dairy calves (also known as 'bobby calves') to slaughter as 'waste products'. Born only to keep their mothers producing milk for humans, their brief life is one of grief and trauma.
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How laws fail farmed animals
Have you ever wondered why hens can be packed into battery cages, when their suffering is so obvious? Or why mother pigs can be confined in cages so small they can't even turn around? It's because our laws discriminate.
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What can I do to help?
The demand for ever-cheaper meat, milk and eggs has led to systems of farming that deny animals their most basic needs and desires. But consumers were never told of the high price animals pay to meet this demand. Every time you choose a plant-based meal over an animal-based one you are helping to transform our food system, and along with it, the lives of animals. And enjoying more plant-based food has never been easier - or more delicious! See for yourself by ordering a free Veg Starter Guide today.
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