Animal agriculture

Editor: Thank you for your Oct. 8 article covering our vigil at the Rancho Veal slaughterhouse (“Animal advocates hold protest”). Our intention was to raise the level of awareness of the tragedy of animal agriculture.

Fifty years after the enactment of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, 55 billion land animals in the world’s factory farms and slaughterhouses suffer confinement, abuse, mutilation and tragic death. These animals are bred, raised and murdered for consumption by other animals, humans.

(Slaughterhouse owner) Babe Amaral was perplexed by the protest, which was a vigil to remember all the suffering factory farmed animals endure. Mr. Amaral said he couldn’t figure out why Rancho Veal was targeted since he sold the veal business in 2005 but he is still slaughtering older cows and bulls. This is the disconnection our culture has created. Where is our compassion?

Farmed animals are not commodities, they are not hamburgers, bacon, nuggets or chops; they are living sentient beings. They are sentient beings the same as our household companion animals. It would be a crime to treat companion animals the way these farm animals are treated.

The observance of World Farm Animals Day is for all animals raised and slaughtered for consumption. Oct. 2 marked the 27th annual World Farm Animals Day, bringing worldwide attention to this tragedy.

Anna Hornick, Petaluma