Vegan Designer Explains The ABC of Animal Cruelty

These graphics by Harsh Magan highlight lesser-known common practices of Animal Farming. Animal cruelty in the animal agriculture industry is often ignored or purposely kept hidden due to its many disturbing practices. Most of these procedures are routine, and consumers are often kept in the dark about them. Misleading labels of happy cows and chickens on your favorite cheese blocks, eggs or meat curries are classic examples.

Illustrated below are some lesser known practices of animal cruelty that regularly take place in the animal agriculture industry.

Branding

Cows, buffaloes and horses have their skins forcefully branded with a hot iron for the purpose of identification. The process is inhumane and extremely painful for the animal but this remains a very common practice.

Debeaking

Male chicks in the poultry industry have their beaks cut off in a painful process called debeaking. This often leads to wounds and bleeding on the beaks, and can cause permanent impairment. Many of the birds starve as they are unable to eat due to agonizing pain.

Euthanasia

Birds that become sick or injured in chicken farms and no longer remain profitable are killed "humanely", i.e. they have their neck pulled to break the spinal cord.

Gas Chambers

Pigs in the meat industry are huddled into metal cages and which is then sent inside gas chambers. They are exposed to carbon dioxide and kept inside for about 90 seconds as they scream and try to escape, until they suffocate.

Impregnation

Cows and buffalos are forcefully and artificially impregnated in the dairy industry by farmers. After they give birth, their calves are taken away from them within approximately the next 24 hours and their milk is collected for human consumption. The male calves are sent for slaughter and the female calves eventually replace their mothers.

Leather

Cows, bulls, buffaloes, and even calves are hung up on their legs, then slaughtered and skinned in the tanning industry to be turned into fashion products. Often, alive animals which are in line to be killed are present in the same room and watch the process.

Queen Bee Farming

Queen bees have their wings clipped off which prevents them from leaving the hive and starting a new colony elsewhere. Oftentimes the bees are also killed or impaired in the honey extraction process.

Stunning

A stun gun is used to shoot cows and calves in the center of their heads to render them unconscious, which makes it easier for the worker to slaughter them.

Tail Docking

Cows and buffaloes in the dairy industry have parts of their tails cut off to make it easier for workers to milk them.

Vivisection

Live animals have operations performed on them in the scientific field as a way of demonstration and experimentation.

Zoos

Zoos are artificially created areas which entrap wild species, removing them from their natural habitat and keeping them in smaller enclosures or cages, often with minimal care. These animals are not allowed to develop naturally and are only used as a form of entertainment.

Big or small, the impact of each such practise has led to devastating impact on our planet. Three billion animals are killed each day leading to an enormous loss of biodiversity. This rapid species extinction is not only cruel but also accelerates climate change. Our only chance to undo the damage is now. Going vegan is not the only answer, but is definitely an easy step in the right direction. 

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