Missing the Point: How Cow Appreciation Day Gets It So Wrong

If you have been following me lately, you know that I have been doing a 31 day blog challenge for the month of July. Each day I have been sharing a post for The Ultimate Blog Challenge. Today is day 8! I am super proud off how consistent I have been! Click here if you want to see what else I have been talking about.

While I was looking up inspiration for today's post I came across Cow Appreciation Day. I found more information on the website Days Of The Year. At first I was excited to discover this and then I was horrified! Why was I horrified? Because cow appreciation day has been used to promote eating more chicken! WTF!!!

So basically replacing not eating one animal by eating another one!!! How is this okay?

Before I was vegan, I would not have thought too much about this. Back then it felt acceptable to view certain animals as food. Now as an 8 year plus vegan, I am no longer clouded with cognitive dissonance. I view animals as a someone and not a some commodity.

The Days Of The Year post on Cow Appreciation Day continues to share other ways of celebrating, including visiting local dairy farms and learning more about cows.

Here is a BIG contradiction with what they share:

"Take Cow Appreciation Day as an opportunity to spend some time finding out more about these animals. Cows are emotional and social creatures. They tend to form tight bonds with family and friends. This is especially the case when it comes to the relationship between calves and their mothers. If they are separated, they will show extreme distress."

" Another fact is that cows create a lot more milk when they are happier. This is something that has been concluded in a study, showing that cattle have lived a happier life, creating more nutritious milk that has a greater amount of calcium. This probably should not come as much of a surprise. After all, as humans, we tend to be more productive when we are happier!"

Why is this a contradiction? Well, there is nothing happy for cows forced to produce milk in the dairy industry! In factory farming, female cows are artificially impregnated only to have their babies taken away from them. This causes extreme distress for both mother and baby. The milk that was supposed to be for the baby is what is what ends up in the grocery store. Male calves are sent away to become veal and female calves grow up to be part of the same milk production system as their mothers. You can read more about it here in this Peta article.

Cows are quick learners, form relationships, and have unique personalities like cats and dogs do. So why is it acceptable to use them as food?

I believe cow appreciation day should be celebrated by learning more about cows and not eating them or using their milk. Also eating chicken or some other animal as a way to honor cows just sounds barbaric to me.

In honor of Cow Appreciation Day I wanted to share a link with you about the cow residence at the Woodstock Farm Sanctuary located in High Falls, NY. Here you can learn more about each cow they rescued and their unique story.