According to the UN, some 4.2 billion people live in cities. This means that 55% of the world’s population is surrounded by concrete buildings, artificial parks, and other humans! In the 1960s, half of then’s global population lived urbanely. Thanks to better standards of living and higher wages, it makes sense why many have decided to ditch the country for the city.
Although this change marks various positive social indicators, it still nonetheless creates a rift between humans and nature, specifically “livestock”. This lack of contact between humans and animals may cause a form of disconnection, which leads to blind consumerism that is fuelling a pejorative towards farm animals.
Even the term “livestock”, is a form of abatement, because it reduces sentient beings into commodities. This may not seem like much, but it is true that we have altered our language to hide the individual. We refer to cows and calves as beef and veal, pigs as pork, and sheep as mouton.
In this article, I’m going to talk about my trip to The Retreat Animal Rescue, and what I learned being around rescued “livestock”, and how such experience could help formulate a better relationship with our fellow Earthlings.
The Retreat
The name says it all. The Retreat is an animal rescue centre in High Halden, England, whose founder Billy Thompson, decided in 1989 to save animals from cruel conditions. Currently, there are over 1250 residents in the Retreat, including cows, chicken, pigs, foxes, dogs, goats, sheep and many more! I had the privilege to visit on a sunny Saturday morning, where I managed to book an exclusive tour!
Before I go further into this article, I must say that my experience at the Retreat was amazing! I learned a lot from our tour guide Alfie, who is only 16 years old and has been vegan for 7 years! The staff are super friendly, and the Retreat is very clean! The exclusive tour costs £60 for two adults, and is a form of donation where you get to meet many of the residents!
You see, although I’ve been vegan for over 5 years now, I’ve never had the chance to visit a large scale sanctuary such as this! I’ve visited farms, city farms, and small scale rescues, but this was a first for me. A big part of being a vegan is forming the connection with what is on your plate, and the individual that is there. Interacting with “livestock” on a personal 1:1 basis at the Retreat, solidified my morals, and added further fervour towards my fight for veganism.
Such interactions come rarely, especially for people living in cities. Being around an animal that isn’t a “pet”, is an experience of its own. Spending time with an animal that many people eat, wear or exploit for better words, is a mind altering experience. You get to witness their personalities, attitudes, and also spend time with them.
Aries the Sheep
One particular resident that I had the pleasure of meeting, is Aries the sheep. Although Aries has a few cognitive and motor issues, he was still very social. In fact, he was the one that approached me! At first, I wasn’t sure how Aries was going to react around me, but oh my. He was genuinely the most loving animal in the Retreat, and he was extremely calm and loving. Aries’ energy was radiating, and the bond that we shared that day is etched in my mind.
Aries and I didn’t utter any words, nor did we really look each other in the eyes. I squatted down to be closer to him, and he placed his head onto me. I could hear him breathe – very calm and rhythmic. Aries was comfortable around me, even though it was our first meeting. He let me pet him, and I was enthralled by the moment – a truly indescribable connection.
I asked myself “how could someone want to harm you?” knowing very well that this is a highly emotional question. A better question is “why would someone want to harm you?” because then, we create accountability through action. However, a sheep like Aries is not very sought after. A farmer that is raising animals for food is looking for a quick turnover. This means that their input into an animal needs to be less than the output that the animal can generate. As such, producing profit.
The economic desirability for Aries and the other disabled residents at the Retreat is low, because they are seen as a liability. If a farmer can’t make money from their “livestock”, then they will have to either kill, or give them away. Fortunately for the animals at the Retreat, they continue to live!
Supply and Demand
Going back to the question I previously posited, there are many reasons as to why people would consume (some) animals. Importantly, humans around the world eat domesticated animals. The growing demand for these animals has led them to become mass produced, which in turn, leads to availability and affordability.
It is no surprise that global demand for animal protein has increased in the last half century. There are many varied reasons for this, such as a growing population, better animal husbandry, efficient agriculture, and a rising middle class. Richer countries tend to consume more animal protein, and thus, express a larger demand for them. This means that farms and large corporations will strategically breed, feed and slaughter animals in a timely manner to meet this growing demand. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, especially with how accessible food has become in the developed world.
Additionally, humans have managed to select genes that make cows grow faster and produce more milk. For hens to lay eggs more frequently, and for sheep to have more wool. These are favourable genes, because humans can extract more from one animal. For instance, broiler chicken have become larger over the years because of genetic modification. In 1957, a 2 month old broiler chicken would weigh around a kilogram. Today, that same chicken weighs over four.
Want versus Need
Moreover, clever marketing has pushed our obsession for animal protein and products, both by large companies and governmental bodies, through subsidies and campaigns, school lunch programmes, and fast food commercials, to name a few. As such, many people have become accustomed to eating animal protein, multiple times a day.
However, these advertisements in reality, hide the suffering and exploitation that animals face on a daily basis. For many, the idea of harming an animal is farfetched, yet alone killing them. But by consuming animal products, humans pay someone else to do their dirty work. And no matter how we package it, an animal dies because of our demand. In reality, we don’t need to eat cows, pigs, chicken or sheep. We can live normal and healthy lifestyles through plants. But of course, food is tasty, and since many cuisines incorporate animals, they become an inseparable part of our diet.
As such, we begin to tackle a question of sensory pleasure and morality. The truth of the matter is simple. An animal has to die every time someone eats it – this is not rocket science. The idea that our taste buds are more valuable than an animal’s life, creates an interesting discussion. I understand that as the dominant specie of this planet, we dictate how others can live. We base our judgments of animals on their intelligence, tameness, and utility. Thus, it’s easier to justify eating chickens, rather than dogs, because chickens are “stupid”. However, are we conscious of the system that we’ve built?
Understanding…
Most humans around the world have access to a secure food system, especially in the developed world. Yet, through our social conditioning, many people disconnect from the reality of their food. The fact that meat comes nicely packaged, only proves that we have come a long way from our ancestral days. This is not to say that there aren’t people out there hunting for their food, but rather, most of humanity comfortably buys theirs. Such convenience proves that we have reduced living, breathing, and sentient beings to merely a product.
Going back to my introduction, the correlation between humans living urbanely, which is steadily growing, and their disassociation with food, is nothing short of unaccustomedness. The less time we spend knowing where our food comes from, the more we become disillusioned by the gravity of our actions. I’m certain that if more people had the opportunity to meet and interact with farm animals, and actually learn from them, then they might become more wary of their food choices – a sign of accountability.
This isn’t to say that people who live rurally are more likely to become vegan. In reality, they could be less likely to do so, because they might have their own animals that they put the effort into rearing and slaughtering. However, the point of this article is not towards people that live such lives, but rather, towards those that don’t – and that is most of the world.
Connecting…
There are many facets of veganism that I can talk about, but in this article I’m sticking to one basic tenant: empathy. Being empathetic is something that comes naturally to many people, but we learn its varying degrees through experience of being around others. It took me over a year of research to finally embrace veganism – a completely learned behaviour.
I also believe that many people are naturally well-intentioned. Nonetheless, their upbringing can be conflictual. Many people consider themselves as animal lovers, yet they’re not vegan. Isn’t this hypocritical? People will go to a petting zoo and play with lambs and chicks, but go have a roast dinner afterwards. It seems to me that as long as we don’t have to kill the animals, we absolve ourselves from any guilt.
My experience at the Retreat reaffirmed my thoughts and feelings towards animals. At the end of the day, we are not so different from each other. The system of exploitation and slaughter that humans have developed is nothing short of an exacerbated remnant of our past lives. We don’t need animals to survive, and our constant pursuit for their flesh and bodies is only a reflection of our disconnection. By considering “the other” for once, we could understand their pain and suffering, in hopes of creating a better world for all.
I’m grateful for my experience at the Retreat, and I hope it continues to expand and rescue more animals in need. Adding on to that, I do hope that more people are willing to take the time out of their day to visit animal rescues, and educate themselves on the animals that they consume. Proactivity and understanding can take us a long way in how we treat others, and taking ownership of our actions is the first step towards that.