In response to the Alligator's Tuesday article "Ice cream shop opens today, will offer 11 vegan flavors," I would like to congratulate Payal Patel and Kyle Fick on the opening of the Karma Cream ice cream shop. By staying true to their ethical beliefs and featuring nearly a dozen delicious dairy-free choices, they are doing a great service to the community by offering diners healthier, more eco-friendly options. In addition to helping students keep off that pesky "freshman 15," by picking the vegan Peach Cobbler, Dreamsicle or any of the other dairy-free dishes, consumers won't be contributing to a lifetime of misery for a cow on a dairy farm.
The nine million cows living on dairy farms in the United States spend most of their lives in large sheds or on feces-caked mud lots, where disease is rampant. Cows raised for their milk are repeatedly impregnated. Their babies are taken away so that humans can drink the milk intended for the calves. When their exhausted bodies can no longer provide enough milk, they are sent to slaughter and ground up for hamburgers.
Thankfully, with so many delicious and cruelty-free options available at Karma Cream and other local restaurants, it's easier than ever to take a stand against animal abuse one cone at a time.
