(Edit: This thread is based on posts from the thread 'Why are u vegan?' in another subforum.)
Well, I'm not really vegan (as I'll eat eggs when I know where they've come from and I'm happy with it, I'm really a dairy-free(whenever possible) vegetarian, so slight difference).
Anyway, my initial reason for not eating meat (when I was 9, bless) was that I bottle fed a lamb, then went home to lamb for dinner. 12 years later, I never ate meat again. BUT now, I have a much more mature and educated view on it. I'm a vet student, so have spent a lot of time working with food production animals. I know first hand how these animals are treated, and to be honest, some production methods are absolutely fine from a welfare point of view - lamb for instance. Others are not - indoor-reared pig and broiler chicked for example. But at the end of the day, I just can't bring myself to eat meat now, and just plain don't want to, whether I think its welfare-friendly or not.
I gave up dairy for health reasons (trying to lose weight, I ate waaaaaaay too much cheese) plus dairy cattle welfare is pretty poor to be honest.
I don't object to eating meat or dairy on a philosophical basis, and I don't in any way wish to convert others - each to their own. I would encourage others to buy meat with good welfare standards, and I do educate my family & friends accordingly, but I would never criticise them for eating meat.
A lot of people have said they are vegan "for the animals" - what exactly do you mean by that? You object to eating meat/dairy on a philosophical basis? You object to welfare standards? "For the animals" seems pretty vague to me, not really a well-explained reason!
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