The Abuse against Cows

When you think of cows, what do you think of? You picture a bunch of cows living freely on a farm, eating all the grass they can get and soaking up the sun, right? I wish that were the case for cows, but sadly more than forty-one million cows will suffer and die in the United States. You may be asking yourself why, why would somebody do something like this? I say that anybody who would do this is not a real human being and should have to deal with some consequences. There is no reason why any cow should suffer, it is completely atrocious and we must come together to do something to free these animals.


From the minute a baby cow is born, the baby cows are taken away from their mother and stuck in a small dark cage by themselves. The cows are then put on a liquid diet, which gives them barely any nutrients and this is all done so that the cow becomes tender (GoVeg). These cows live in the same nasty conditions that the chickens do. They have no room whatsoever, they can’t even turn around. They eat, sleep and go to the bathroom all within the same couple of inches. They are constantly breathing in feces and other chemicals, which make the cows very ill. The factory workers neglect to call a veterinarian to come give the cows regular check-ups, so most of them die from diseases dealing with respiratory problems or digestive problems. How can people just not care, sit there, and watch these animals die right in front of their face? It is so painful to have to hear these stories because these problems should not be happening. We do not need to treat innocent animals this way.


If the cow survives all the over feeding and drugs given to them to fatten the cows up, it is time for the long drive to the slaughterhouse. Cows are forced by whips to get in a metal cage in a truck, where they cannot move for days. No matter what the weather, heat, blizzards, and freezing rain, the cows will be in that truck on the way to the slaughterhouse. There had been times where cows have been frozen stuck to the floor or walls of the metal truck and then are shot because they cannot get out. (Human Society) Is that anyway to treat someone? They were just doing what they were supposed too, getting in the truck and not moving and people killed them. It is truly heart wrenching. Once the cows actually make it to their destination, they are lined up and shot in the head. They are then hung by their legs, have their throat cut and are skinned (GoVeg). Don’t you agree that is this is a little overboard? I think that if killing needs to be done, it be done in a peaceful manner. There is no need for such extreme violence.

Now some people say that all farms are bad but I don't believe that. I believe that organic and natural farms are much better than factory farms. Why can't these cows live the lives that the cows do on organic farms. Organic farms are much healthier and safer for these animals. Karl-Erik Hammarberg would agree with me saying, "Many of the regulations on organic farms are clearly to the advantage of the animals and their general welfare, e.g demands of prolonged access to milk and increased possibility to live in an environment which favours natural behaviour (Hammarberg)."
Now some of you may also argue that a cow gets to live at least one year grazing in an open field, so the cows must not suffer that much. I agree with you, it's wonderful that a cow gets a year of freedom, but that doesn't take away from the unbearable life that the cow must live after that year. Just because cows have one good year, doesn't mean that they didn't suffer. If you were tortured your entire lie, but got one year where you were never harmed, would you say you had a good life? I don't think so. These cows deserve a life where they can run free, eat what they want, and not have to suffer. Is that really too much to ask for?



Works Cited

Go Veg PETA, n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2010. .

Hammarberg, Karl-Erik. "Animal Welfare in Relation to Standards in Organic Farming." Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 43 (2001). Print.

Human Society N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2010. .