HOW many of us will be extending our thoughts to mothers of other species this Mother’s Day?

Very few, probably, but the reality is that the billions of animals used in the food, clothing and entertainment industries will not be spending Sunday, or any day, with their offspring.

Farmed animals get the worst deal, particularly dairy cows. Whether you have raised children or not, take a moment to consider the lives they endure for the sake of our taste buds.

Imagine repeatedly being made pregnant, forcibly through artificial insemination, only for your babies to be taken from you within 24 hours of birth.

Or being milked constantly, producing 10 times the amount of milk you would naturally, only for the entirety of it to be sold for profit rather than given to your baby.

Or only living to a quarter of your life expectancy before you are considered ‘spent’ and then slaughtered.

These awful acts are unfortunately standard, everyday practices of the UK dairy industry.

We are the only species that drinks the milk of another species; cow’s milk is perfect for a calf, its structural composition specifically designed to turn a 100lb calf into a 1,500lb cow. We are quite clearly not meant to grow to such a size.

This Mother’s Day consider doing something wonderful for mothers in the animal kingdom by going vegan. It’s never been easier.

JIMMY PIERCE
The Vegan Society
Hylton Street
Birmingham