The San Juan County Fire Department seemed highly a-moo-sed by its own wordplay after a cattle truck overturned on Highway 64, but this crash must have been extremely frightening, not funny, for the cows on board (“
Injured humans were sent to a hospital for treatment, but what happened to the cows who survived this terrifying incident?
It was probably back to business as usual. Most cows are fattened up for slaughter on filthy, overcrowded feedlots, after which they are trucked to a slaughterhouse, often without food or protection from the elements. There, they are shot in the head, strung up by a leg and have their throats cut. Sometimes they remain conscious throughout the horrific ordeal.
A series of cow puns might provide a chuckle, but they read quite callously when you consider the systemic cruelty that these sensitive, intelligent animals endure for meat and milk.
There is a simple way to show respect for cows, and it benefits our health and the environment at the same time: Go vegan.
Jessica BellamyNorfolk, Virginia
