1. Pregnant
Pigs Are Kept in Extreme Confinement
The pork industry’s use of gestation crates, which keep pigs
immobilized, is one of the worst forms of institutionalized animal abuse in
existence. In fact, these crates are so cruel they’ve been
banned in nine states and the entire European Union.
2. Bacon (and Other
Processed Meats) Could Give You Cancer
Just last year, a study by the World Health Organization placed
processed meats like bacon and sausage in the same carcinogenic
category as asbestos and smoking cigarettes.
3. Piglets Are
Mutilated Without Painkillers
Piglets are taken from their mothers when they’re
as young as 10 days old. After having their tails cut off, their teeth clipped,
and their testicles ripped out without any painkillers, they’re packed into
filthy, overcrowded pens.
4. Pig Farming Is
Destroying Our Waterways
With thousands of animals crammed into a single farming
facility, millions of tons of feces, urine, and blood require disposal. The
result is massive toxic waste lagoons that can become so taxed they overflow
and seep into water tables, rivers, and streams, creating a toxic
mess.
5. Sick Piglets Are Killed
in Horrific Ways
Piglets who are too sick or who aren’t growing fast enough
are gruesomely killed. Many are slammed headfirst onto concrete floors, and
others are tossed into overcrowded gassing carts where they slowly suffocate
from CO2.
6. Pig Farms Are Breeding
Grounds for Dangerous Bacteria
On factory farms, antibiotics are used to make animals grow
faster and keep them alive in conditions that would otherwise kill them. Bacteria
can develop resistance to these antibiotics, making it virtually
impossible to treat humans who become infected by these
“superbugs.”
7. No Federal Laws
Protect Pigs on Factory Farms
Unfortunately, not a single federal law protects animals
during their lives on factory farms. The Humane Methods of Slaughter Act pertains
to cows and pigs only at the slaughterhouse, providing zero protection to them for
the majority of their lives.
8. Farmers Feed Dead
Piglets and Feces to Pigs
In 2013, Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV), an often fatal
diarrheal illness, killed a tenth of pigs raised for pork. Last year, Fox
News reported that farmers were combating the epidemic by feeding pigs
manure containing the virus or remains of dead piglets who were infected.
9. Pigs Receive
Little to No Veterinary Care
As countless MFA investigations have documented, many pigs
are left to suffer from open wounds, serious injuries, and infections without
proper veterinary care. As long as factory farmers prioritize profit over animal
welfare, animals will pay the price.
10. Bacon (and Other
Processed Meats) Can Shorten Your Life
Researchers at Loma Linda University School of Public Health
found that vegetarians had a lower risk of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and
death from all causes. Consuming high amounts of processed meats like
bacon can increase your risk of premature death by up to 44 percent.
11. Pigs Are
Incredibly Smart
Pigs are considered the fifth-most intelligent animal in the
world—even more intelligent than dogs—and are capable of playing video games
with more focus and success than chimps! Despite this, factory farmers treat
them as meat-producing machines.
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We can take a stand for animals, the environment, and our
own health by ditching pork and other animal products.
For a list of delicious vegan bacon recipes, click here.