Cruelty against calves takes away from our humanity

Years ago, I discovered just how milk-fed veal is produced. Things haven't changed; look a little further at the deplorable conditions in veal factories. Not only terribly cruel to the calves, the drugs routinely given to them may end up on your plate.

The life of a veal calf is one of complete misery, torture, illness, despair and stress. Not my idea of the source of a fancy, expensive meal. The calf is forcefully taken from its mother within hours of birth and chained to a 22-inch by 56-inch crate where it will spend the rest of its miserable life, without being able to move, walk, turn around or even lie down, keeping it from developing muscles which would make the muscles less tender. The calves are deprived of their others' milk and instead are fed an antibiotic-laced formula. These tortuous factories are a breeding ground for infectious diseases, they are deliberately kept anemic, causing chronic diarrhea, respiratory and intestinal diseases and in order to keep calves alive they are given drugs, which can be passed on to consumers.

The USDA admits that most veal is never tested for toxic residue; the industry claims that the drugs used in veal have been approved by the FDA but the fact is that toxic and illegal drugs have been routinely used.

When we, as a people, detach ourselves from the horrors we inflict on innocent creatures, we can no longer call ourselves compassionate, or humane.

CINDY AASE

Sagle