121 Million Pigs Are Killed for Food in the U.S. Every Year
The cruel practice of pig farming would not exist without the demand for pig products, which has never been higher. The average meat-eating American consumes about 31 pigs in their lifetime.
MATTHEW ZAMPA: ‘Year after year, factory farms have consistently gotten bigger, cramming more pigs into fewer facilities and maximizing profit with little to no regard for the animals’ well-being. Since 1978, the number of pigs on industrial pig farms has ballooned to nearly 60 million animals, while smaller, family-run pig farms have become nearly obsolete. Industrial pig farms were 20 times bigger in 2007 than they were in 1978, according to the Humane Society.
The sad truth is the cruel practice of pig farming would not exist without the demand for pig products, which has never been higher. The average meat-eating American consumes about 31 pigs in their lifetime. That compares to 10 cows, 71 turkeys, and more than 2,000 chickens… Despite what farmers promise about the welfare of their animals, the lives of pigs on factory farms are bleak. Before pigs even step off of the truck, they are stripped of the dignity humans so willingly award to cats and dogs, and are labeled a commodity.
During a recent PETA investigation, more than 1,000 mother pigs were found suffering miserable lives in crates at one of British Columbia’s largest pig farms. Footage from the farm shows mother pigs and piglets kept in tiny crates where they are unable to move or care for each other properly. In some cases, piglets may die right in front of their mother’s face, without the mother being able to do anything for her young.
An estimated 121 million pigs are killed for food in the U.S. every year… Around the world, nearly 1.5 billion pigs are killed for food every year. They live their lives in horrible, overcrowded pens as if to hide their incredibly loyal, friendly, and playful personalities from the light of day. Piglets are separated from their mothers as young as 10 days old.
Mother pigs, called sows, give birth without rest or space to turn their bodies around for up to four years before they’re slaughtered… Once pigs reach the slaughterhouse, their suffering intensifies. At one slaughterhouse facility in Australia, workers were found drowning pigs in boiling brown water while they fought for their lives…
The entire industry treats pigs – who are highly intelligent, emotional, and social creatures – as mere objects, units of production. This is evidenced by the horrific lives these animals endure from their birth, right through to their deaths’. SOURCE…
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