All Dairy Cows Are Killed
The dairy industry is a slaughter industry. Every single dairy cow is killed once her milk production slows down.
In many cases, cows do not face slaughter in the same location where they are raised; instead, they endure lengthy and distressing journeys in inadequately ventilated trucks and trains to reach the slaughterhouse. This transportation process can be physically debilitating, with some cows experiencing falls or collapses during extended periods of transport.
Once cows reach the slaughterhouse, they face long waits in large pens prior to slaughter where they can hear other animals being killed. Methods used in the slaughtering process for cows include the use of captive bolts which stun by driving a metal bar at a high speed through the skull into their brains. Kosher and Halal methods include no stunning at all.
As many as 12.5% of cattle in the European Union are not properly stunned and continue to kick as they go on to be hung upside down and slaughtered—all while conscious. After their throats are cut, severing major blood vessels in their neck, their bodies are then continuously moved through a series of stations where they are skinned, cut open, and dismembered.