3 min read
PETA is hitting the ice urging the Toronto Maple Leafs to dump dairy. Dairy Farmers of Ontario is currently the main sponsor of the NHL team, but neither Ontario nor any other part of the world is immune from the climate catastrophe, to which the dairy industry is a major contributor. Cows produce massive amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere, causing ice caps to melt. For a sport that plays its games on ice, this is not a good look.
What Is Dairy Farmers of Ontario?
Dairy Farmers of Ontario is a marketing group that spouts buzzwords like “responsible” and “welfare” to dupe consumers into feeling good about consuming dairy, which is always cruelly obtained.
The Maple Leafs’ ‘Milkman’ Needs a Makeover
Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs’ players—including Simon “the Milkman” Benoit—should take a good look at the way animals are exploited in the dairy industry. Workers tear calves away from their mothers within hours of birth, leaving the desperate mothers to bellow for them for days. And workers hook mother cows up to milking machines, stealing the milk meant for their babies. A cow’s natural life expectancy is about 20 years, but those exploited by the dairy industry are typically killed after only about five years because their bodies wear out from repeated pregnancies and excessive lactation. Hopefully, Benoit will consider changing his nickname to something more compassionate, like “the Mother Man,” acknowledging moms of all species and that abducting babies is horrifying.
Milk Is Made for Baby Cows—Not Hockey Players
Professional hockey players, like all elite athletes, are expected to stay in top physical condition. But drinking dairy milk is like playing ice hockey on dull blades. Cow’s milk is suited to the nutritional needs of baby cows—not humans—which explains why a U.K. study found that people who suffered from irregular heartbeats, asthma, headaches, fatigue, and digestive problems “showed marked and often complete improvements in their health after cutting milk from their diets.”
By weaning themselves from the dairy industry’s cruelly obtained funding, the Maple Leafs would start next season on the right skate. PETA encourages the team to switch to a new leading sponsor that doesn’t harm animals, the planet, or its players’ health.
Every animal is someone. Please help end the exploitation of cows by the dairy industry by going vegan. Our free vegan starter kit is filled with tips for anyone looking to make the switch:
Reject Dairy: Download a Vegan Starter Kit
