So-called 'piglet processing' is a particularly cruel standard practice in the pork industry, where piglet's tails are cut off, their teeth clipped down to the gum line, and their testicles literally ripped out by hand - all without any form of pain relief.  Some say that because the piglets are young they have little memory of what happens to them, and so there are no negative or lasting effects. This claim becomes problematic when you consider that we wouldn't dream of conducting invasive surgery on a human baby without anaesthetic because 'they'll never remember it', even though humans and pigs feel pain in exactly the same way. Inflicting pain on babies is both legally and morally wrong because we understand that hurting those who feel pain is immoral whatever their age. Unless that is, we really like the way their flesh tastes.


                                   - The image that inspired this cartoon - 

                                          - Piglets being processed -