These Facts About Pigs Will Surprise You!

What are some of your favorite things to do? Play outside in the sunshine? Explore? Talk to your friends or maybe snuggle with your mom while she sings to you? If you said yes to any of these, you may have more in common with pigs than you thought!

Despite what people may think, pigs are clean, smart, fun-loving animals who form close bonds with their friends and family. They’re known to stick up for each other when one is in trouble. Pigs are sensitive beings—they’re just like dogs, cats, and humans in all the ways that matter.

Pigs Suffer When They’re Used for Food

Every year, millions of pigs are raised and killed for food. Those on factory farms are deprived of everything they care about, like sunshine, affection, space, and yummy snacks. Instead, they’re treated horribly for their entire lives.

A mother pig is very affectionate and enjoys cuddling and bonding with her babies. She even softly grunts little lullabies to the piglets as they nurse. But on factory farms, mother pigs are locked in metal cages—called “farrowing crates”—which are so small that they can’t even turn around or cuddle with their babies. They’re forced to live in these crates all the time, with no breaks to stretch or do anything else.

Farmers Are Really Mean to Piglets, Too

When piglets are just a few days old, workers cut off their tails and testicles and clip their teeth—all without painkillers. When they’re around 3 weeks old, they’re taken away from their mothers for good and forced to live without her in a crowded pen. The mother pigs are forced to have more babies, and the cruel cycle continues.

As Long As Humans Eat Bacon, Pigs Will Continue to Be Killed

PETA undercover investigations have filmed workers stomping, kicking, yelling at, and beating pigs with sticks. Pigs are still just babies—only about 6 months old—when they’re crammed into a truck with lots of other pigs and driven to a slaughterhouse. Sometimes it’s really cold or really hot out, but the animals don’t get heating or air conditioning—they don’t even get any food or water on the drive, which sometimes lasts for days. When they get to the slaughterhouse, they’re really scared, and they don’t make it out alive.

Here’s What You Can Do to Help Pigs!

All this suffering is completely unnecessary. You can help pigs by not eating them! There are lots of yummy vegan foods at grocery stores, so why not ask your parents to skip the meat aisle and pick up some vegan bacon, hot dogs, or deli slices?