What about the human debt slaves that pay taxes for bureaucrats to live in ivory towers and cast judgement.In the natural world dogs and pigs live short harsh violent lives as did the cavemen?

Pigs should not be kept in small pens.There is no excuse for that since cows are not kept this way.People are not generally going to keep pigs as pets.So if we are going to stop farming them they will all have to be destroyed as they are environmentally disasterous.

Consider also the children and women working is factory sweatshops to provide us with cheap clothing and profits for the elites.Do they not count in this ideal world?

We have however guard against vegans wanting to impose their ideals on the rest of us.When Chimps started to eat meat,that gave them the protein to develop intelligence.Some vegans may need to increase their protein intake.

Good stuff. It raises some important questions.

This essay confirms the authors ideas.
http://www.fearnomorezoo.org/literature/observe_learn.php

Also from the same author. "The negative exploitation and killing of non-human beings by human beings violates the heart of one and all."

Arjay, vegans are not about to impose their dietary ideas on to anyone.
At the same there has always been massive prejudice and resistance to the the idea of vegetarianism in Western culture as a whole. Vegetarians have always been criticized as "sandal-wearing-kooks"
With rare exception even main-stream religions do not have a tradition of vegetarianism.

As a one time farmer, I discovered that when animals are under stress their reproductive systems are compromised. I believe the same is true for many species which also includes humans and chooks.

When you consider the productivity of the average commercial piggery, it would appear that the breeding sows are not doing too badly. No farmer wants his animals to suffer, as this affects their performance.

David

Australia does of course have a massive problem with feral animals of all kinds: pigs, camels, buffaloes, horses, donkeys, goats, rabbits, cats and dogs. All of which are destructive, particularly so with the bigger ones in their tens of thousands and even millions

What to do about them?

So too with other countries.

A convenient set of double standards at work here.

The author clearly believes that the act of "domesticating" animals is some form of kindness, rather than the epitome of species-ist arrogance.

The difference between a pig and a dog in her view is simply one of choice. We choose to keep one type of animal in permanent bondage to us, while breeding the other for food. Guided entirely by aesthetics, as the article makes clear, not intelligence or capacity to befriend.

Much along the same lines that whacking baby seals over the head to die instantly in a cull is somehow evil, while poisoning rats to die a painful lingering death is somehow civilized and acceptable.

>>Many people are horrified when confronted with the reality of ‘puppy factories’<<

Not horrified enough, it would seem, to prevent them being used to feed their addiction. In what way is this any different to being horrified at the conditions in which pigs are kept, but still tucking in to bacon and eggs?

If we are going to go down the hypocrisy route, at least let's go down it all the way. Fomenting faux outrage at our treatment of one animal while covering our treatment of another with sentimental tosh, is merely exercising selective blindness.

>>I was holding her head, our noses touching, while the vet injected her leg with a substance that gently induced her last, long sleep<<

That is just sick. In so many, many ways.

Relatives of mine operated a fairly large piggery until about 10 years ago. I always hated the 'factory' style of pig farming so on that level agree with the author. Much rather see piggies in paddocks like another relative who ran a much smaller piggery in the 70s & 80s before 'free range' was fashionable. She found it hard to maintain a profit on the operation and eventually shut down.

And therein lies most of the problem - profit! Consumers wish to pay as little as possible, retailers wish to maximise their margins and the unfortunate farmer - the price taker, has to make some money or go broke. Many have.

Pigs are intelligent but unsuitable pets. Too large, strong and can be aggressive and very destructive. They also have a higher propensity to zoonotic disease - infections that can be passed on to humans and vice versa

A domestic pig is likely to have the much longer lifespan than a feral pig unless sent to be slaughtered. The writers descriptions of husbandry practices are also somewhat in error. Piglets are generally weaned at 6 - 8 weeks of age, to do so at 2 weeks would entail huge mortality. Castration of boar piglets is now extremely rare. It sets back growth slightly and produces a carcase with higher fat. Producers work on the principle of turning off their pigs before sexual maturity which negates the need. They seek to minimise stress by avoiding 'overcrowding', temperature control and boredom reducing measures including music and playthings like chains that be rattled.

No it's not perfect by a long shot but until animal welfare concerns are enforced and/or the consumer is prepared to pay the premium for free range meat, most pigs will live in sheds all their lives.