How many vegetarians?

[PhunkeyPhish]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I have been a vegetarian for 5 and a half years and have worked in the veterinary field for the past 3 years. I have not met even ONE other vegetarian, and in fact a lot of the (male) doctors and techs give me **** for being one. I wrote about this a lot in my vet essays... I think it is odd to spend the morning healing animals and then take a break in the afternoon to consume them. Anyways, I saw "veganchick" and it made me wonder how many other pre vetters are veggie or vegan.

ps. my nickname at work is "veggie," short for veggie tales... flattering eh?

 

[Hollycozza]

heaps of vegetarians at vet school in Australia- about 1/4 of the class at Sydney I reckon

 

[ylrebmik]

I've been veggie for 2.5 years. I'm not even in college yet but I still get a load of crap.. even though I know at least 8 more veggies.

 

[Mangause]

I know quite some people, I just started!!

 

[Fairyblastt]

I've been lacto-ovo for a long time. I think it's all about how you approach the issue. People don't want to be judged by what's on their plate. That includes me and everybody else I know. 😉

 

[hopefulvet21]

I'm a vegetarian, slowly developing into a vegan when I can avoid cravings. One vet I worked for was a vegetarian and was ardently opposed to wearing fur and let everyone know about it! (I don't wear fur and wouldn't, but I thought it was interesting how much it affected him). I think there's lots of vegetarians in vet school (probably not a majority, but still many).

Veggie is short for veggie tales huh? Well I like that show and I think their songs are catchy, especially "Where is my Hairbrush"

 

[pixel]

assuming you work in a small animal clinic, it's not like you are going to eat pet cats and dogs on your lunch break.

and food animals need food animal vets so they can be turned into healthy cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets, etc.

you have to remember that vets serve human interests, not animal interests, until the time when animals have money to foot the bills. we heal cats and dogs because their parents pay us to do it because their cats and dogs make them happy. humans are omnivores.

to me, there's no real correlation b/w veterinary medicine and vegetarianism. vegetarianism and nutrition, sure. 'animal rights' activism, yep. but medicine, not so much. JMHO. 🙂

 

[karmapple]

*raises hand meekly* I've been a vegetarian for about 10 years. Although people don't usually know that about me until they've known me awhile. Broadcasting it is a bad idea, because being a vegetarian in Texas is apparently the equivalent of being in a satanic cult, from the way people act. My views have changed alot from when I became a vegetarian at 15 and was a gung-ho PETA supporter (*groan*). I don't really think about it any more, it is almost more of a habit than anything. I haven't eaten meat in so long that now it just appears to me as completely unappetizing.

 

[Jochebed]

assuming you work in a small animal clinic, it's not like you are going to eat pet cats and dogs on your lunch break.

and food animals need food animal vets so they can be turned into healthy cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets, etc.

you have to remember that vets serve human interests, not animal interests, until the time when animals have money to foot the bills. we heal cats and dogs because their parents pay us to do it because their cats and dogs make them happy. humans are omnivores.

to me, there's no real correlation b/w veterinary medicine and vegetarianism. vegetarianism and nutrition, sure. 'animal rights' activism, yep. but medicine, not so much. JMHO. 🙂

Great post. I am not a vegetarian, though I had a bout of it a couple years ago. I got into it for similar reasons - "I love all animals and I want to be a vet and heal them, therefore I shouldn't eat them". Then I went and actually worked on a small farm side-by-side with a woman that raised her own sheep...and slaughtered them and ate them. Seeing that this was the *purpose* of those animals really changed my mind. Dogs and cats generally have one purpose - companionship. Cattle, sheep, goats, pigs often have another purpose - food. But cows, sheep, goats, pigs can be pets as well and so if I saw them as companion I'd treat them as such. Just how I look at things.

Also, maybe the reason you don't see many ardent vegetarians in veterinary school is the use of animals incumbent to a veterinary education. We have a LOT of animal use regulations, don't get me wrong, but I have seen many, MANY occasions of some of my vegetarian classmates being utterly disgusted that we rectally palpate cows. They think it's this awful, horrible, painful, torturous, barbaric procedure and can't believe we're allowed to palpate each cow *gasp* 4 times a week. There was actually a student in this year's 1st year class who was vegan and a PETA-er that dropped out 1/2 way through first semester because she couldn't handle anatomy lab and the cadavers. Not that I think you have to be crass about animal use to be a veterinarian, but you certainly do have to recognize that we care for animals the best we can to still learn and perform the procedures that we need to.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Pomona2006]

I have been a vegetarian for over 10 years...I don't even know when it started, but most of my life! I was vegan for a while back in high school, but I decided my love for cheese was too strong (although I don't drink milk or eat eggs on their own, just baked into stuff). Yay veggies! 🙂

 

[trakart]

I consider myself a vegetarian but others may disagree. I've been on and off for about 5 years. I guess the main reasons I stay away from beef, poultry and fish is for health reasons. I will dine on venison and others animals that my friends hunt for "population control measures". People do give me crap but it's something that you learn to deal with if you choose this path.

 

[Equidae]

There are two techs (including myself) at our clinic who are vegetarians and one who we are unintentionally converting. 🙂 She was horrified by some of the stuff in her animal science book and then someone happened to hand her a factory farm pamphlet at school a couple of weeks ago. The two male doctors "joke" about it almost daily, but the female doctor said she was a vegetarian for ten years after visiting a slaughter house in vet school.

A lot of non-vegetarians think that it doesn't really matter how you treat animals that are produced for consumption since their purpose is to be eaten, but they still object to issues such as dog fighting or intentional abuse/neglect. They don't view them all animals as equals; pet suffering is bad, cow suffering is not.

I can't imagine anyone who is a vegan and is totally against any sort of animal products being a vet. That just wouldn't gel.

PhunkyPhish, are you going to Hampton? I'll be there!

 

[wildvet]

I was a vegetarian for about a year in high school, and realized that it was too difficult for me financially, and I'm not the best cook (well I can make great dishes, I just don't have the time to cook all the time). My diet now is a bit more complicated... simply put, I'm polle-pescetarian. I won't eat anything from domestic mammals (red meat or pork). At first it was somewhat of a boycott of the farm industry, but I realized later how integral meat is to the world. Now it's more of a taste concern (I just don't like it), and a habit.

But if someone puts a beef or pork dish in front of me and says that they made it especially for me, I will not refuse it. In high school, I went through so many difficulties when I would refuse dishes at banquets and restaurants, and I felt bad having to make my hosts or servers go through extra work to make me happy. Sometimes, it would even make them and the other guests angry, so I just stopped out of the sake of these people.

I also will eat game meats like venison or pheasant. I do not have any problems with eating venison because of their overpopulation in the US. Even if it sounds like it might be cruel, I feel as though hunting them is necessary to maintain ecological balance. Most hunters should be well-trained anyway (as a license is required), and will be able to ensure that the animal dies a quick death with the least amount of suffering. I know that some of you may argue that, but that's just my opinion.

Like I said, my diet is kind of complicated, probably more information that you wanted to hear lol. But I understand why you would want to be veggie.

 

[PhunkeyPhish]

PhunkyPhish, are you going to Hampton? I'll be there!

I wish! They are supposedly announcing tour dates at the beginning of the year and then Im gonna try to get some tix. I just dont have the funds for Hampton right now... especially now that Im getting ready for my Tufts interview.

And in response to what others have said or are saying... I'm not a "touchy feely" kinda vegetarian. Im a vegetarian not because I want to molly coddle animals but because Im disgusted by farmimg practices. While I agree humans are omnivores by nature, we are not by nature the meat eaters we are today. People consume meat at almost every meal - I don't believe that is what nature intended our bodies to do... look at the health benefits of vegetarian or low meat diets. And in response to not serving the animals - true you get paid by humans, but are you becoming a vet for the humans or the animals? If you say humans then that leads me to think its just for the money, and if thats the case you arent gonna find much money in vet medicine. So if you are becoming a vet for the animals it shouldnt matter if the animal has an owner or not... what do you think about wildlife vets?

 

[HopefulAg]

Not a vegetarian (eating a hamburger right now actually). Couldn't do without meat and there's more effort than I want to put into what I eat required to be a vegetarian: balancing meals so you don't deficit yourself in some nutrient.

 

[VeganChick]

I can't imagine anyone who is a vegan and is totally against any sort of animal products being a vet. That just wouldn't gel.

I'm not sure why you think that wouldn't gel. To me, they mesh perfectly. One is a personal decision to not participate in animal suffering. The other is a commitment to prevent animals from suffering. If you are thinking about large animal medicine, I view that as the same. My choice to be a vegan is personal and not something to demand other people do. I respect others' choices and expect them to respect mine.

 

[PhunkeyPhish]

High five vegan chick, I agree with what you said completely. A lot of people responding to this thread have assumed that I, or other vegetarians here, are trying to convert others to follow our lead. I'm a vegetarian for reasons of my own and don't really care if others choose to eat meat, I have some best friends who eat meat, I don't think they are bad people. It's ironic that in my situation and I'm sure in most, it's meat eaters trying to get vegetarians to eat meat, not vegetarians trying to get meat eaters to not eat meat. And I'd like to add that I started this thread to see other vegetarians applying to vet school, not to open up an ethics debate.

 

[Malhi]

I am vegetarian! It was a total turn around from being a complete non-vegetarian. I think I stopped having eggs when I was 12 and then over the years stopped eating meat entirely.

Excellent post Veganchick... I agree that it entirely a personal choice. I am the only vegetarian in my family. I definitely don't try to get people to change their eating habits. If someone doesn't feel the way I do, it's their prerogative.😎

PhunkePhish, now that you mention it... non-vegetarians are always trying to get me to eat meat.. take this thanksgiving for example.🙄

 

[pupsforseeing]

And in response to not serving the animals - true you get paid by humans, but are you becoming a vet for the humans or the animals? If you say humans then that leads me to think its just for the money, and if thats the case you arent gonna find much money in vet medicine. So if you are becoming a vet for the animals it shouldnt matter if the animal has an owner or not... what do you think about wildlife vets?

i love animals. but, i can wholeheartedly say (and i have successfully argued it to adcomms) that i am going into veterinary medicine for the humans. my interest in veterinary medicine has always been in working with animals that mitigate human disabilities (think guide dogs, service dogs, therapeutic horsemanship, etc.). now living in a third world country and seeing poverty (and the agricultural and sanitation issues that so often go with it) at levels i had never experienced firsthand before, i am also gaining an interest in using veterinary medicine to help in that arena (improving animal health to improve the food supply and economy for the humans).

as for the vegetarian thing, i normally don't eat much meat (read red meat every 6 months or so, chicken 1x a month, and probably 2 cans of tuna each month). but, it's more a taste preference and the fact that i get grossed out when preparing it. i do not have a moral issue with eating meat if that was the purpose these animals serve. as others have mentioned, my pet dog is for the purpose of companionship. but, the pig that the kids here are raising on kitchen scrap and will slaughter at the end of the year is for the purpose of food. i will eat bacon in june (even though it grosses me out, i have to be a good example to the kids). i wrote a 32 page paper about this very topic last spring. if only i could state it as eloquently now as i did then. but basically, while i see why people think there is a correlation between veterinary medicine and vegetarianism, i find it very easy to distinguish the two.

 

[InfiniVet]

assuming you work in a small animal clinic, it's not like you are going to eat pet cats and dogs on your lunch break.

and food animals need food animal vets so they can be turned into healthy cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets, etc.

you have to remember that vets serve human interests, not animal interests, until the time when animals have money to foot the bills. we heal cats and dogs because their parents pay us to do it because their cats and dogs make them happy. humans are omnivores.

to me, there's no real correlation b/w veterinary medicine and vegetarianism. vegetarianism and nutrition, sure. 'animal rights' activism, yep. but medicine, not so much. JMHO. 🙂

*Hi-five*!

Hit the nail on the head 🙂

 

[Optimistic 13]

.

 

[david594]

I think it is odd to spend the morning healing animals and then take a break in the afternoon to consume them.

I think it would be way more odd to spend the afternoon consuming unhealthy animals.

If you didn't want an ethical debate you should have avoided taking a jab at all the non-vegetarians.

 

[Emio]

I also will eat game meats like venison or pheasant. I do not have any problems with eating venison because of their overpopulation in the US. Even if it sounds like it might be cruel, I feel as though hunting them is necessary to maintain ecological balance. Most hunters should be well-trained anyway (as a license is required), and will be able to ensure that the animal dies a quick death with the least amount of suffering. I know that some of you may argue that, but that's just my opinion.

doesn't that just mean going to walmart and paying your ten bucks?

i think their motivation to be a good shot is more about having one drop on the spot versus hiking a mile through the woods to find a wounded animal than it is about animal welfare.

 

[sofficat]

*raises hand meekly* I've been a vegetarian for about 10 years. Although people don't usually know that about me until they've known me awhile. Broadcasting it is a bad idea, because being a vegetarian in Texas is apparently the equivalent of being in a satanic cult, from the way people act. My views have changed alot from when I became a vegetarian at 15 and was a gung-ho PETA supporter (*groan*). I don't really think about it any more, it is almost more of a habit than anything. I haven't eaten meat in so long that now it just appears to me as completely unappetizing.

I'm in Alabama... I can only assume we're treated very similarly. I love the BBQ lunches that clubs supply and everyone's like... just have the baked beans and potato salad for lunch. ick! and of course the beans are fully of bacon and pork!
There are about 4 veggies in our class. I've been one for 12 years! It really has affected my family and they all eat less meat! and it helps that my hubby is one too (for about 8 years)

 

[Groominator]

doesn't that just mean going to walmart and paying your ten bucks?

i think their motivation to be a good shot is more about having one drop on the spot versus hiking a mile through the woods to find a wounded animal than it is about animal welfare.

Does it really matter what the motivation is so long as the the animal doesn't suffer?

 

[Emio]

Does it really matter what the motivation is so long as the the animal doesn't suffer?

no, i was emphasizing that there is no formal training for hunters in order to get a license. there are plenty of poor shots out there.

 

[sambone]

Being vegan or vegetarian doesn't necessarily mean you don't participate in animal suffering.

There are MANY ways we inadvertently harm animals, aside from just eating them. Simply being a typical consumer of goods and energy is incredibly detrimental to many animal environments and can be directly/indirectly harmful to animals. And if you've taken any medication lately or helped administer any at the clinic where you work, you should know that animal suffering was probably required in some form during the R&D for those drugs.

And for those who think you're not contributing to animal suffering by not eating them, I sure hope you're getting ALL your fruits and vegetables from local, small scale, carbon neutral, biodynamic farms. Because if you're eating fruits and veggies out of season from large conventional farms in other states or countries, or eating things like chocolate or coffee from africa and south america, you're definitely hurting animals in your support of the consumption of oil and natural habitats, and the use of fertilizers and pesticides. (BTW organic does not inherently mean environmentally friendly. A good read is the Omnivore's Dilemma.)

Lastly, there was a thread listing some animal based products not that long ago - it might be worthwhile for us all to go back and consider how many of those animal unfriendly products we consume, before getting too self righteous about what we don't consume.

whew...sorry for the rant, just a touchy subject.

 

[Malhi]

Sambone,

I think all of us have been stressing that we are vegetarians for personal reasons. None of us is being self righteous. Please don't feel that we think any less of meat eaters. As I mentioned, my whole family eats meat except for me. I don't try to impose my views on them! And I am sure most of the people on this forum don't impose their views on others either.

Whatever the reasons are, people are making an effort to change what they feel they can change in their lives. So, please don't make it sound like a bad thing.

 

[Equidae]

I'm not sure why you think that wouldn't gel. To me, they mesh perfectly. One is a personal decision to not participate in animal suffering. The other is a commitment to prevent animals from suffering.

There are many common medical products made from or with animal products (suture material, drugs, supplements) not to mention all of the chemicals and medications that were tested on animals. Think of all the stuff in a clinic with MSDSs and LD50s (lethal dose to 50% of test animals). It's somewhat contradictory to our goal of alleviating suffering when the tools we use may have caused pain to another animal. Plus there's the whole dog food and cat food dilemma. Some owners feed their pets strictly vegetarian diets, but cats and dogs are naturally more carnivorous than humans. Plus all of the amino acids and compounds normally only found in meat must be artificially synthesized (probably more animal testing) and added to pet diets. With the diabetic problems in cats, it seems counterintuitive to put them on diets with more carbs.

I don't think that you can avoid being involved in animal suffering and work in any science related field. We may not directly cause or support the suffering, but our patients are benefiting from it. An unhappy paradox.

 

[pitbull lover]

I have been a vegetarian (ovo-lacto) for 16 years. I worked at a small animal practice for many years and I was the only veggie. Now I work at a specialty practice (many, many employees) and there are a considerable amount of vegetarians of varying degrees.

I've gotten used to feeling different, answering all the vegetarian questions, defending myself, having to be a pain at restaurants with special orders, having to remind my family that I don't eat meat, etc.

I don't think that you have to be a vegetarian to have concerns for animal welfare. And yes we need farm animal vets to insure that the meat is safe, but I also think that they should have a duty to minimize an animal's suffering from the conditions of how they are raised to the methods of slaughtering. Vet medicine is for the animals as well as the people who love them or depend on them.

 

[DollyyLlama]

phunkyphish, where are you located? i've lived in san francisco all my life, college in berkeley, and veggie/veganism is quite common here. probably the highest concentration i've seen was among people at college. i haven't noticed that my veterinary co-workers are much more likely than others to be veg, but there are always a few.

as for me, i haven't had red meat in years, and since i interned at the farm sanctuary i've cut down on milk and eggs. i eat fish or poultry at my mom's house, but i don't make it for myself. for me, it is definitely related to being a vet- i want to help the animals that need it most, and in terms of sheer numbers and magnitude of suffering, that would be farm animals.

 

[lailanni]

Around 12% of our veterinary class is vegetarian. This is higher than the national average, which I've read from a few sources to be around 3%. (Please correct me if you've seen otherwise).

Some are for health reasons, some personal. I enjoy how at every food function there's always a vegetarian (sometimes vegan) option. People are very accepting about lifestyle choices here, there's enough room for everyone to get along.

 

[hopefulvet21]

There are many common medical products made from or with animal products (suture material, drugs, supplements) not to mention all of the chemicals and medications that were tested on animals. Think of all the stuff in a clinic with MSDSs and LD50s (lethal dose to 50% of test animals). It's somewhat contradictory to our goal of alleviating suffering when the tools we use may have caused pain to another animal. Plus there's the whole dog food and cat food dilemma. Some owners feed their pets strictly vegetarian diets, but cats and dogs are naturally more carnivorous than humans. Plus all of the amino acids and compounds normally only found in meat must be artificially synthesized (probably more animal testing) and added to pet diets. With the diabetic problems in cats, it seems counterintuitive to put them on diets with more carbs.

I don't think that you can avoid being involved in animal suffering and work in any science related field. We may not directly cause or support the suffering, but our patients are benefiting from it. An unhappy paradox.

Being vegetarian doesn't mean you put your pets on the same diet, cats and dogs are obligate carnivores and humans are not. Putting them on a vegetarian diet would probably contribute to animal suffering more. And every time we've used sutures they're made from vicryl or nylon. If you're a vet, you can usually choose which one you want to use and I have never heard of any procedures that would absolutely require the sutures made from cow intestine.

 

[Jochebed]

cats and dogs are obligate carnivores

CATS are obligate carnivores.
DOGS are omnivores.


Also wanted to agree with the poster above - if you didn't want this to be an ethical discussion there shouldn't have been jabs from the other side.

 

[sambone]

Sorry Malhi - I definitely wasnt trying to make vegetarianism/veganism sound like a bad thing - it's not, and makes sense in a lot of ways cause our food system is so screwy. (I was a veg for 4 years until I was an exchange student in France)

But I do think changing what you eat is really the one of the easier ways to reduce your impact on animals. The harder thing to do is to change your consumption of energy and products and reduce your production waste - which requires a total lifestyle change and IMHO requires a lot more dedication to not harming animals.

 

[tealamutt]

My choice to be a vegan is personal and not something to demand other people do. I respect others' choices and expect them to respect mine.

I think this is a great summary of how I feel. Personally I am a meat-o-saurus, but I was a vegetarian for 10+ years. As a veggie I hated people telling me why I should eat meat and as an omni I hate people telling me why I should be a veggie. You might find that reconcilling your personal feelings about meat are a little harder in vet school when you're working on food animals and the like but it's your choice and if you're not preaching to others about it, I can't see how the two can't mesh for you!

I think the real problem for veggies and vegans in vet school is that the food takes so much longer to prepare and is more expensive (if you're doing a very balanced diet) and you have NO time... but other than that, batch cooking on the weekends and stuff, you should manage.

 

[tealamutt]

doesn't that just mean going to walmart and paying your ten bucks?

i think their motivation to be a good shot is more about having one drop on the spot versus hiking a mile through the woods to find a wounded animal than it is about animal welfare.

wow, how many hunters do you know?? What you said is true for some but not the majority (at least in the 3 or 4 communities I've lived in where hunting is how you feed your family). The men and women I know who hunt are exceedingly ethical, most of them saying a prayer for the animal after they have dispatched it. Don't let a few rednecks spoil your view of hunters when they are not all that way.

 

[Electrophile]

I find it rather odd that so many swear off beef but still eat eggs and cheese. Even though I disagree with feed lots (the beef and bison I purchase all comes from local producers that raise and finish their animals on pasture), a steer on grass and then later on a feedlot arguably has a much better life than a dairy cow maintained first in a hutch and then later in high production confinement, not mention hens in battery cages.

Anyways, I try to be a responsible omnivore and eat locally as much as possible from meat, milk, and egg producers who raise their animals humanely and with respect to the land.

I agree, Tealamutt. Most hunters I know (and there are many in my class) do it to kill the animal as quickly and cleanly as possible. An easier death than by mountain lion or coyote, that's for sure.

 

[wildvet]

doesn't that just mean going to walmart and paying your ten bucks?

i think their motivation to be a good shot is more about having one drop on the spot versus hiking a mile through the woods to find a wounded animal than it is about animal welfare.

If I'm not mistaken, I think you need to register through the DNR for the state you live in. It's an official government record, not just something you can buy at Walmart. I've heard of Walmart offering licenses to keep wild birds too, but I doubt that they're legitimate.

 

[Skillet9886]

I find it interesting that so many of you are defensive (no negative implication there..) of being vegetarian/vegan. Over the past several years that was always the second question I got when people found out that I was pre-vet. The first, of course was, "You know you'll have to put animals to sleep?" Oh, gosh, really?! Hang on, let me change professions real quick. But the next question was pretty consistently "So then you're a vegetarian?" I mean, I guess I can see a correlation in that both have something to do with animals, but I'm surprised at how many people I've encountered consider veterinary medicine and vegetarianism mutually inclusive. Though, these are the same people that assume I want to work in a zoo when I tell them I'm a zoology major.

Personally, I'm not a vegetarian, but even as a little kid I never really liked meat. Poultry and fish are ok, but other than the occasional turkey burger, I don't really buy meat of any kind to cook myself. I'll sometimes order meat when I'm out, and I generally eat whatever my mom cooks when I'm home. The only thing I don't eat out of principle is pork. I know it's kind of random, but I think pigs are really smart (sorry cows and chickens..) and a lot of the farming practices...well, I don't want to endorse them. I have never really had a problem with it in terms of defending my choice or what you all have described in previous posts. To be fair, though, I did grow up in Boca Raton, FL, so I think most people just assumed the no-pigs thing was for Kosher reasons.

 

[twelvetigers]

...I had Chick-fil-a for lunch. 🙂

I love vegetarians and many vegetarian dishes, but it's not the lifestyle for me.

 

[168135]

I've been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for 5 1/2 years.

 

[loo]

...I had Chick-fil-a for lunch. 🙂

I must admit I love pork. Veal has never touched my lips, though. I really don't eat a lot of red meat to begin with...

 

[Malhi]

Thanks Sambone. I appreciate the apology.🙂

I understand now what you were trying to say. Not to get into it too much but I have tried to reduce my carbon footprint in every way I can - the decision to become a vegetarian came much later in life.

 

[QuarterHorseGal]

I've been a vegetarian my entire life 🙂. There's maybe 2 or 3 others in my class of 88. For me, it is an easy way to reduce my contribution to animal suffering and help the environment at the same time, and doing that makes me happy.

 

[Emio]

wow, how many hunters do you know?? What you said is true for some but not the majority (at least in the 3 or 4 communities I've lived in where hunting is how you feed your family). The men and women I know who hunt are exceedingly ethical, most of them saying a prayer for the animal after they have dispatched it. Don't let a few rednecks spoil your view of hunters when they are not all that way.

definitely don't know those hunters. and who said my view was spoiled? i know several, and they are fine people.

 

[PrimalMU]

Okay, so here's my opinion regarding vegetarianism...

If you're doing it for your own health (and doing it the smart way), then great, I'm happy for you. In fact, I wish I could do the same, because I know I could live a healthier lifestyle. However, my experience with hardcore vegans (usually PETA members to boot) has left me with a bitter taste in my mouth. They are generally hypocrites (*cough*like PETA*cough*) and usually don't know anything about what they are talking about except their regurgitations from PETA pamphlets. Note: I know not all vegans are this way. That has just been my experience with them.

As sambone mentioned, changing your eating habits isn't really going to do much for animal welfare when you're still hopping into your car and heading to Walmart to buy those Mexican tomatoes and gourmet rainforest coffee.

 

[Nexx]

There's a good number of Veg in my class, and maybe only two or three vegans. It's hard over here in Oz to find a lot of the stuff I'm used to seeing at home--that it unless you are a good cook and can make a lot of stuff from scratch, but as mentioned, who has the time?!

And look, there's always going to be the us versus them attitude of veg versus non veg. You know why? I don't think you guys have really stopped to wonder why non veg people always try to convert you to meat, or ask you questions about it, or perhaps make fun of you. Vegetarians and especially vegans are outside social norms within the US. While veg/vegan lifestyle is readily becoming more acceptable (and it has gone far in the past 5-10 years) it is still an abnormal behavior to most people. The same way tattooing and piercing gets some people dirty looks, or keeps them from getting a job--because it is still outside of social norms. You have to understand that when you make the choice, and not get bogged down because you think people are hassling you... it comes with the territory basically.

And yeah, there is no way to reduce your consumption to the point of having no impact on the suffering of animals.. but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't try. In fact, as an ideal that is the goal of all veterinarians... to reduce the suffering of animals. If that means you stop eating meat, fine. If that means that you work towards sourcing an animal that has had a quick/painless and was free of fear (i.e. the other cows aren't watching another cow die), that is fine too. All about choices and what you feel comfortable doing and how you can reconcile it to fit within your life.

 

[nyanko]

Personally, I'm not a vegetarian, but even as a little kid I never really liked meat. Poultry and fish are ok, but other than the occasional turkey burger, I don't really buy meat of any kind to cook myself. I'll sometimes order meat when I'm out, and I generally eat whatever my mom cooks when I'm home. ...
I have never really had a problem with it in terms of defending my choice or what you all have described in previous posts.

The quoted parts of this are pretty much me. Not vegetarian, but most days I don't really care if I eat any meat (though sometimes I'll crave chicken or turkey), and I've always been a super picky eater. However, I've never really felt like I had to justify myself to anyone when I've been out somewhere and ordered a plain cheese sandwich or a salad with vinaigrette dressing on the side. Sometimes friends will joke with me but it's always good-natured ribbing. If people are seriously getting on your case about being a veggie or eating meat, either way, you are either being a tad oversensitive or you need to get new friends (or tell the ones you have that it's none of their business and they should stay out of it)! 😉

 

[CookieBear]

I was never a big meat eater, but I became a vegetarian over the summer, following an externship with USDA APHIS.

I would probably eat meat, and poultry, if I knew exactly where the meal was coming from, and how the animal was killed.

I didn't see large production facilities, with APHIS, rather, small mom-'n-pop slaughter operations, and some were better than others.

My personal feeling is, I don't want the animal to see other animals being killed - right before its time of slaughter, and, I want the animal to die as quickly and painlessly as possible, and ideally, to have some semblance of a balanced life beforehand. If I could have that knowledge before putting the fork in my mouth, OK. But until I have reliable access to that kind of meal, I haven't eaten meat.

It's been very hard for me not to eat chicken - as I ate so much of it before. And I still eat cheese, and will use regular milk in my coffee (otherwise been using lots of soymilk for cereal, etc.) I understand what others have said about the quality of life issue for dairy cows and chickens - but I confess I'm not good enough with food prep and diet and time to exclude eggs and cheese right now. My brother has been the same for longer than I, and although I would still eat fish, he doesn't, but more-so for taste.

Becoming a vegetarian has instilled in me even stronger feelings of respect and/or the knowledge that we need good food animal veterinarians and safety measures for the animal food supply. I know people are not going to stop eating meat (or eggs, milk, etc). With that thought in mind, safety and welfare are important to me.