The more I love dogs, the more I grow to love and appreciate
all other species we share this planet with. I also know that I’m part of a
growing demographic that is concerned about how we treat the animals that become
our food. That’s why we’re not only seeing a growing sector of our population
becoming vegetarians, but also the ever-increasing availability of "organic"
products on our grocery store shelves.  We,
the trusting consumer, believe the labels we read – and so we should be able
to; however, all is not as it should be. If you, like me, buy "organic milk", you’ll
be surprised to know that its source could very likely be from a factory farm
where the cows never see a blade of grass in their lives. According to the
ASPCA, an estimated 30-40% of the US organic milk supply comes from factory
farms where the cows are confined in barns and/or dry lots rather than the lush
green fields we envision. These factory
farm cows live inhumane lives and the milk they produce can’t possibly be as
healthful as a cow that is permitted free range to graze.  We’re being duped and furthermore paying extra for it.

There is some good
news on the horizon though, the ASPCA tells us that the US Department of
Agriculture is in the process of creating new regulations to better enforce the
existing requirement that organic cows be
allowed to graze in pastures. These new regulations currently are awaiting the
approval of the President’s Office of Management and Budget.

What You Can Do
You now have a unique opportunity to speak up and take action to protect dairy
cows from inhumane treatment. Please visit the
ASPCA Advocacy Center online to email President Obama and urge him to support
the USDA’s proposed organic dairy cow regulations.

If you’d like to read more about the organic milk expose, here’s an interesting article.