Your prescription

Hi there,

My name is Dr Amir Khan. I’m a full-time GP, author, and TV personality. While my job is to care for humans, I’ve always been passionate about animals and nature too.

What many don’t realise is just how closely human health is connected to the way we treat animals. And today, I want to explore that connection by taking a closer look at the dairy industry.

After a thorough examination, I have to deliver some critical news: the dairy industry is in a dire condition.

The glossy images we see in adverts – cows grazing in lush fields – couldn’t be further from the reality.

From the moment they are born, calves are torn away from their mothers, forced into isolation. Male calves, deemed useless to the industry, are either killed or sold off to the veal trade, while female calves are subjected to an endless cycle of pregnancies and milk production.

This constant strain takes a terrible toll on their health.

Up to 50% of cows suffer from painful conditions like mastitis, which causes their udders to swell, become infected and leak pus.

Lameness is widespread too, affecting around a third of cows in their lifetime as they are forced to stand for hours on hard, unsanitary floors, causing severe physical strain.

When these cows can no longer produce enough cheap milk, they are discarded – sent to slaughter in their weakened state.

I’ve seen this myself in footage released by Animal Equality at a so-called Red Tractor-assured farm. A cow, unable to stand due to exhaustion, was hoisted by her hips and dragged across the hard floor before being shot. It was a display of complete utter disregard for life.

Aside from being cruel, what’s forgotten too often is that this system isn’t just bad for the animals – it’s bad for us as well…

Keeping animals in cramped, filthy conditions creates a breeding ground for diseases. Huge unnatural groups of animals, densely packed and poorly cared for, develop weak immune systems and start catching and spreading illnesses. These diseases then mutate and, ultimately, can jump over to humans or decimate wild animal populations too.

We’re seeing this happen right now with bird flu, which is making its way across the UK at a dangerously rapid rate.

Breeding bugs like this is bad enough, but an even greater threat still lies in the approaches the industry takes to antibiotics. To prevent diseases like mastitis and force the animals to be as productive as possible during their miserable lives, farmers routinely pack cows used for dairy full of antibiotics: vital life saving medicines that we rely on too!

73% of the world’s antibiotic usage is linked to animal agriculture…

The problem is, the more microbes are exposed to antibiotics, the more resistant they become, and the effectiveness of these medicines drop. This reckless use of one of humanity’s most life-saving medical advancements risks sending us back to the dark ages: where something as minor as an infected cut was potentially life-threatening!

The consequences of antibiotic resistance are already being felt around the world. In fact, it is currently estimated that resistant infections kill over one million people every year. If we don’t act now to curb the overuse of antibiotics, experts warn that by 2050 antibiotic resistance could be the leading cause of death globally, surpassing cancer.

My diagnosis?

The dairy industry is sick…

and it risks making us all sick too.

There is a cure – but URGENT intervention is needed to cut out this malignant and growing industry.

It is time to change the way we produce and consume dairy. The first and most effective thing we can do is encourage people to switch to plant-based alternatives. This shift can reduce the demand for animal products and reduce the number of animals suffering at the hands of this deadly industry.

Second, we need to put our money where our mouth is. Or, more accurately, we need the Government to! Did you know that YOUR TAXES get handed out to dairy farmers?! This tilts the entire playing field, making it harder for producers of oat, soy or nut milks to compete… This is deeply unfair, unethical and it has to change.

This is one of the many things Animal Equality is fighting to turn around. They’re in consultations right now to change the National Food Strategy, and they’re showing people what a healthy, plant-based future can look like.

Animal agriculture is sick in more ways than one, but it need not be terminal for us all.

I can see the world Animal Equality is trying to build, and it’s beautiful:

A world where animals roam freely and no longer drag their lame bodies along concrete floors.

A world where doctors don’t live in fear of the next animal-exploitation related zoonotic disease and where the medicines we have worked so hard to create continue to be effective and save lives.

This isn’t some utopian dream world… it is entirely possible. And it depends on the decisions that you and I make today. It is a world that we collectively have the power to choose and that you as an individual have the power to help bring about.

No one can do this alone, but together we can.

Together, we can breathe life back into the world.

To make this change happen, Animal Equality needs support from compassionate people like you – people who care about cows and want to see them living free, people who really care about current and future generations of humans and other animals alike… they need people who are ready not just to speak up, but to take action and remain determined, loyal and supportive on the long road to progress.

Right now, a generous donor named Ben has offered to give £50,000 to Animal Equality, but only if we can show him that he is not alone…. So first, we need to find 150 new monthly donors to join him. You don’t need anywhere near £50,000 to save lives – any donation above £5 a month counts and helps animals secure this game-changing donation. This is your chance to make a real difference for animals and humans everywhere.

Be their lifeline: BECOME A MONTHLY DONOR

Thank you for your compassion and for being part of the solution.

Warm regards,

Dr. Amir Khan

NHS Doctor and proud supporter of Animal Equality UK

P.S. Animal agriculture is sick in more ways than one, but it need not be terminal for us all. Right now, a generous donor named Ben has pledged £50,000 to Animal Equality, but only if we can prove he’s not alone. To unlock this game-changing gift, we need 150 new monthly donors to step up. You don’t need £50,000 to save lives – just £5 or more a month can help secure this vital funding. This is your chance to be a lifeline for animals and create a healthier future for all: BECOME A MONTHLY DONOR

P.P.S. And, if you pledge a £20 monthly gift, Animal Equality will send you a special welcome pack as a token of their appreciation. But hurry – this opportunity is only available until 31st March! Don’t miss out: donate now!