Dear Human,
I remember it like it was yesterday. My newborn lay on the ground, tiny and precious–my heart was full in that fleeting moment. If you’re a mother you know the feeling: the overwhelming instinct to nurture and protect. I gently cleaned her and let her nurse from me, savoring the bond we had just begun to form.
Then, everything changed.
A human came, and in an instant, my joy turned to despair. He took my baby from me. He was rough and unkind to her, and indifferent to my cries. I watched helplessly as he drove away with her–my heart shattering more with each inch they drove away.
For days I called for her. My voice ached with hope that she might return–but she never did. I should have known she wasn’t mine to keep. The humans forced this pregnancy upon me; why would they let me keep what they made me carry?
That’s just part of my sad story, and the story of every other cow in the dairy industry. I spent the first 8 weeks of my life in near solitary confinement–trapped in a little hutch with less than 30 square feet of space. Nothing to play with, no friends, no parents, just plastic walls and a fence to look through. I imagine that’s where the man took my baby–the first one at least. The other two were male, so they were likely killed after they were taken.
I used to think that maybe all my suffering was necessary, that the humans hated doing this to me but had no choice. I was wrong. They don’t need my milk—It’s made for my babies, not them. They consume it because they like the way it tastes. I lost my babies so they could have something they don’t even need.
Now, because I’m not making as much milk as I used to, they’re going to kill me, grind my body up, and wrap me in plastic me so that some humans can eat me. That’s the thanks I get for my life of hardship.
This is my plea, dear human: recognize me for what I am–a living being. A mother. More than just a product. Don’t see me how the industry wants you to, see me as someone. I don’t think I’m asking for much. Please, just don’t buy dairy anymore. Is it really worth taking everything from me?
For my babies,