“What’s wrong with dairy and eggs?” So many vegans were once vegetarians who asked this same question. Here’s what MFA staffer Jamie Berger had to say:

When I went vegetarian, I didn’t realize at first that dairy and eggs are part of—not separate from—the meat industry. I later learned that animals raised for dairy and eggs not only endure horrific suffering on factory farms but eventually end up as meat themselves.

Some animals, like male calves and chicks, meet this fate just days after birth. But they’re the lucky ones, compared to the females. Female cows used for milk are repeatedly impregnated, only to have their babies taken away so humans can drink their milk. Egg-laying hens live their entire lives inside dark, dirty sheds and are packed in tiny wire cages so small they can’t even spread their wings. Both cows and hens are killed when their production declines, after just a fraction of their natural lifespan.

Once I learned about all this, I knew I didn’t want to be a part of it. Thinking so-called humane farms would treat animals better, I interned on a grass-fed, organic dairy farm. I saw for myself that all animals raised (and killed) for food are treated as disposable commodities, and I’ve been vegan ever since. I’m happy to know that no cows or chickens suffer because of my diet!