Jay Wilde, 59, from Derbyshire, U.K., was a cattle farmer, and his family members were all cattle farmers. But he is not quite like most of the others out there.
Source: The Vegan Society
Wilde's family had dairy cows his whole life, but he switched over to beef cows once his father passed away in 2011. The only problem was that he, himself, has been a vegetarian for 25 years.He left dairy farming after seeing how painful it was to separate a mother cow and her calf, but his conscious wasn't cleared by switching to meat farming. He told BBC:
It was very difficult to do your best to look after them and then send them to the slaughterhouse for what must be a terrifying death.
Source: The Vegan Society
He had formed a bond over the years with the animals on his farm, and it broke his heart to have to send them to slaughter, especially since he "couldn't believe it was right to eat them."
Cows have good memories and a range of emotions. They form relationships. I've even seen them cry.
So he finally decided to give up animal farming for good. He gave all 70 cattle, including 30 pregnant cows, to the Hillside Animal Sanctuary, where they will be able to live out their days in peace.Some of his family members think he's crazy for "giving away" £40,000 (over $50,000) worth of cattle, but he's very happy with his choice.
Source: The Vegan Society
I'm relieved to have made the decision to no longer farm animals, something which I always found quite upsetting.
Now, Wilde has transitioned to a vegan produce farm, specializing in crops not grown with any animal products or fertilizers.While a "lack of imagination" stopped him from making this decision earlier, he was able to contact The Vegan Society, who helped direct him on the steps to take. There are 70 cattle who are no doubt better off now.
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