What’s the difference?

I was driving down the expressway the other day and my heart sank as I drove past a trailer transporting pigs to their fate.  These trailers have openings big enough to see the pigs and how they are positioned.  The pigs were lying on metal with some stacked at the top of the trailer and they had been marked in blue on their behinds.  As I passed the trailer, I locked eyes with one of the pigs and as I did, I sent it love, knowing full well our connection may have been the only time that pig might have known what kindness meant in its very short life, as pigs are generally slaughtered around six months.   

Right after I had passed the trailer, I came upon another trailer transporting horses, they were protected all around but had windows to look out of. Those horses were probably going to a stable. 

I was in shock looking at the dichotomy of how our world treats different animals based on the way our society has taught us to view them. 

Pigs love and care for their young, like to play, form bonds, and express emotions just like a horse can.  Both are considered animals that would be preyed upon in the wild, but in our society, we generally protect horses and treat them with love and respect while pigs are seen as a commodity and food on one’s plate.  To some, pigs may not be even regarded as having emotions such as fear and love. 

I have a request for everyone who reads this post; please attempt to look at all animals with fresh eyes. Try to disregard what society has taught us to see one animal to be loved and another as food.  Each creature on this planet is a sovereign being in its own right, with its own purpose, story, and life. They should be free to express themselves and live the life they are meant to live.

Maxwell the pig was recently rescued by Chicagoland Pig Rescue and is at his forever home at No Swine Left Behind.