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Published On: Tue, Sep 4th, 2018

Florida Mad Cow disease: PETA responds ‘It’s Mad to Eat Meat’

In response to reports that a 6-year-old cow in Florida tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)—commonly known as “mad cow disease”—PETA plans to place a billboard in Tallahassee that shows a “mad cow” next to the words “It’s Mad to Eat Meat. Mad Cow Disease Found in Florida. Go Vegan.”

Image/PETA

PETA notes that most cows killed for food are slaughtered before the age of 2—long before they would become symptomatic for BSE. Humans who eat contaminated beef can develop prion disease, a degenerative brain disorder that can quickly disable or kill its victims. Of the roughly 34 million cows killed for food every year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture tests only 40,000 for BSE.

“Most cows are never tested and are killed long before they would exhibit symptoms, so there’s no way to know for sure how widespread this mad cow disease outbreak is,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA’s billboard warns that those still eating meat are placing themselves at risk of developing a grave degenerative brain disease.”

In addition to possible exposure to BSE, eating meat has been linked to an increased risk for suffering from cancer, E. coli infections, and heart disease, among other serious ailments. It also causes suffering on a massive scale: Cows killed for food are confined to cramped, filthy feedlots without protection from the elements or temperature extremes. At the slaughterhouse, workers shoot them in the head with a captive-bolt gun, hang them up by one leg, and cut their throats—often while they’re still conscious and able to feel pain.

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Displaying 6 Comments
Have Your Say
  1. Jennofur OConnor says:

    Just yet one more reason out of millions not to consume animals’ body parts.

  2. LucyP says:

    Eating meat really is insane, when you consider all the suffering, environmental destruction, and health problems it causes. I hope this inspires some people to try tasty, healthy vegan meals.

  3. Allison_M says:

    If you choose vegan, you don’t have to worry about so many terrible diseases — Mad Cow included. Vegan is the safest bet! And it saves millions of animals from needlessly suffering.

  4. Kim Marie says:

    Great billboard! I don’t eat animals for my health, the environment and because I don’t support slaughtering billions of animals every year. Study after study has proven that keeping animals off our plates is the key to good health. Try it!

  5. Heather Moore says:

    I went vegan for ethical reasons, but the health benefits are great. I never worry about my blood pressure or cholesterol levels, and I even lost excess weight when I went vegan. It’s easy to get all the nutrients your body needs—without excess fat, sodium, hormones and other unhealthy substances—from vegan foods. And study after study has shown that vegans are less likely to suffer from cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other life-threatening illnesses.

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