There are many things that are wrong with the way people treat animals. When it comes to abusing animals, we usually think of sad cats and dogs and monstrous people that would raise a hand to an innocent animal. But what if I told you that most people in the United States are contributing to animal abuse? The dairy industry is an industry that is full of abuse and needs to be stopped. There are so many problems and the list goes on and on, but here are a few things that I think everyone should know.

1. Human bodies are not made to digest cow milk.

According to PETA, humans are the only species on this planet who drink milk past infancy and who drink the milk of another species. Cow’s milk is meant for the nutritional needs of calves. Calves have four stomachs and can weigh almost 1,000 pounds in their first two years of life. Cow milk is for helping the calf gain hundreds of pounds in their first few months of life.

2. In order to produce milk, mother cows must give birth.

Mother cow’s begin to lactate, just like humans, to feed their young. But virtually all dairy calves are stolen from their mothers within hours of birth in order to maximize profit.

3. Female cows are being tortured and artificially inseminated.

To keep the cows lactating at maximum yields, cows are artificially and forcibly inseminated year after year. The constant cycle of forced pregnancy and birth creates a huge surplus of calves.

4. Lastly, growth hormones.

Growth hormones are routinely given to dairy cows so their udders become an unnaturaly large size and very heavy. This not only results in more money for the dairy industry to keep doing what they are doing, but it also results in frequent infections for the cows.