We all recognize that what happens in slaughterhouses is anything but humane - humane slaughter, after all, is an oxymoron. However, what’s important to note is that we do have methods in place that are there to supposedly reduce the suffering of the animals that we kill,  this is important is because it means we acknowledge as a society that the animals we kill have the ability to feel pain and suffer. 

From a science perspective, non-human animals have the same or at least almost identical areas of the brain involved in processing pain and show similar pain behaviors to humans. Sentient beings need to be able to feel pain in order to survive as it allows them to escape from dangerous situations and minimize potential injury. →

Animals feel physical pain, but it is also well documented that they experience emotional suffering just as humans do. Mother cows mourn the kidnapping of their babies by crying for hours, orcas as well have been shown to mourn the kidnapping of their offspring and animals such as dogs have been shown to suffer from separation anxiety when their companion human leaves them on their own.

 It doesn’t matter what experience of pain you have only that you are capable of having a feeling that you don’t want to have.  The same applies to animals, the fact that they can experience pain means that they have a preference to avoid it and by default, it is our moral obligation to ensure no unnecessary pain is caused to any living creature. →