The Humane Christmas Tale

Posted on by The Crumby Vegan Posted in Food/Nutrition, For the AnimalsTagged , , , , , , ,

It is estimated that 10 million turkeys are killed, in the UK alone, every year for Christmas. Did your Christmas dinner turkey have a humane death?

*An interchange I have had many times*
Random Person: How come you didn’t choose meat? Are you veggie? 
Me: Ah yea, I’m vegan. 
Random Person: Oh I love animals but I could never be vegan. I make sure to only buy humane meat though. You know, the kind of meat that had a happy life and then killed humanely.
Me: …

Random Person clearly loves animals but the wonderful advertising industry has built a web of lies that has led almost everyone to believe that a humane death, if such a thing exists in the farming industry, is a happy one. 

Humane death sounds fantastic! Taken away from their mother immediately after birth, mutilated without pain killers, live their shortened life in a factory farm until they get hung upside down, dunked in electrified water and have their throat slit (whilst possibly still being conscious!). Gosh, I’m so jealous of those farm animals. 

We buy humane meat under the premise that the animal did not suffer but is that actually possible? Let’s do some digging…

First off, there is no legal definition of humane. Hmmm ok, swiftly moving on. Let’s check out the dictionary definition instead then. 

Definition of humane: Characterized by tenderness, compassion, and sympathy for people and animals, especially for the suffering or distressed.

Example of a humane death: A cat has got an incurable, painful disease and the only way to help them escape their suffering is to go to the vets and give them the most comfortable, painless end possible. In doing this we are showing tenderness, compassion and sympathy for the cat.

Example of an inhumane death: The baby turkey was taken away from their mother and hatched in an incubator, grew up in a cramped, windowless factory farm (not like the wild turkeys seen in the mega photo above by Rich Hoeg!), given drugs to fatten up, then at around six months they are hung upside down on a factory line, dunked in electrified water head-first and finally get their throat slit. In doing this (or paying money for it) we are showing greed, gluttony and an inability to empathise with other living beings.

We cannot call a death ‘humane’ if it is done to satisfy our craving for meat, dairy or eggs.

If you love animals and you often buy humane, organic, free-range meat etc. then you’re actually paying more because a money-making industry told you that if you did they wouldn’t make animals suffer. They lied.

If you love animals and you really want to ensure their happiness then leave them alone. 

If this post has caught your attention then please, for your Christmas dinner, choose compassion over greed. Your turkey suffered. However, the delicious nut roast waiting for you in the supermarket (far cheaper than the turkey) was humanely slaughtered 💚

38 thoughts on “The Humane Christmas Tale”

  4. Reply
    Sarah says:

    I eat meat, and it doesnt bother me. I live in rural area surrounded by ranchers and farmers and have even raised and harvested my own food, including cows, pigs, chickens and rabbits. I understand tour reasoning however and respect your decision. It and horrible some of the treatment that commercial farms subject animals to

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      Thanks for commenting Sarah. I can understand that some people that eat meat aren’t too fussed about the things that I would be bothered about, like yourself and I can also empathise with people hunting and rearing their own animals if they are in areas of the world where non-animal protein is hard to come by. However I do really appreciate that you empathise with the animals when they are subject to such cruelty on factory farms 💚

      Like

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      I think you’re already doing mega. I really appreciate that you take the time to read the post, something that you might not want to hear, but you listen with such a positive attitude. For that I am forever grateful 💚

      Like

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      Thanks Emily! I think I’m not really sticking up for the humane treatment of farm animals, I’m more so arguing that there is no such thing. People shouldn’t be conned by these labels. Thanks for reading 💚

      Like

  16. Reply
    Eileen Mendoza Loya says:

    Me and my family eat meat, and we know there is no “humane” way of slaughtering these animals for their meat. I understand your point and your reason for going vegan, and I respect that.

    Liked by 1 person

  18. Reply
    morganmike55 says:

    Great post, had to comment on it because of our discussion earlier about “humane deaths” you’re definitely right, I can’t see killing an innocent animal as a “humane” act. I suppose my only option would be to just not eat them.

    Liked by 1 person

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