Urge Dairy to come clean on milk

Avid dairy drinkers may find it difficult to imagine that the benign milk carton is harbouring a dark secret. But the truth is, cows don't spontaneously produce milk.

Like all mammals, cows only lactate after giving birth. And to sustain high milk flow, Australian dairy cows are impregnated -- and consequently, give birth -- every year of their productive lives. The job of many newborn dairy calves however is finished on the day they are born. No longer 'needed' by the dairy industry, these vulnerable baby animals are separated from their grieving mothers so that the milk nature intended for them can be harvested for humans.

What happens to these babies? Some females will face the same fate as their mothers, but many calves will simply be killed. Every year the dairy industry sends around over 700,000 unwanted dairy calves to be killed at around 5 days of age.

Shoppers have the right to know all the facts before making buying decisions -- yet few would be aware of hundreds of thousands of week-old calves who are slaughtered as 'waste products' of the dairy industry. Please help make two of Australia's largest dairy brands accountable to caring consumers by urging them to disclose the truth about dairy calves on their websites.

Take Action!

Subject: (please enter a subject line) Dear National Foods, (please edit the letter below, or send as-is) As a consumer, I like to make informed decisions when shopping. I have recently become aware that the dairy industry is responsible for sending over 700,000 'unwanted' calves to slaughter every year. I was appalled to discover that the traumatic separation of mother cow and calf is standard practice within the industry and that these calves are often trucked and slaughtered as 'waste products'. But I'm even more devastated to learn that this fact has been kept from me as a consumer. Transparency is important in gaining customers' trust. I therefore urge you to disclose on the Dairy Farmers and PURA Milk websites that over 700,000 dairy calves are sent to slaughter as standard practice of producing Australian dairy. This will ensure consumers can make educated purchases. Sincerely, Your Name

We will send this e-mail to:

• National Foods (owners of Dairy Farmers & PURA Milk) Customer Feedback

Your First Name: Your Last Name: Your E-Mail: Keep me updated with Animals Australia e-updates

Security Code:   (What's this?)