February 6, 2025
Dear editor;
The sight of ducks, crows, and other birds dying along Lake Michigan’s shores due to bird flu is a grim reminder of how our food choices harm animals. On filthy factory farms, thousands of stressed chickens are crammed together, providing ideal breeding grounds for pathogens because birds live among their own feces. This cruel food system is killing animals in and out of slaughterhouses—and poses a serious risk to human health.
The solution is simple: go vegan. By ditching meat, eggs, and dairy, we can help prevent these deadly outbreaks, spare animals immense suffering, and protect our health.
Every animal is someone. So, let’s honor the birds who lost their lives by making compassionate choices—and stop the cycle of cruelty that spreads disease. Please, let’s go vegan.
Sincerely,
Rebecca Libauskas, Climate Research Specialist, PETA Foundation, Norfolk, Va.