In 2009, I was finally ready to give up fish too and, along with it, started learning how many animal ingredients were in my regular products like toothpaste and shampoo. By donating to animal causes, I also started receiving more information on the subject matter and realized just how cruel even the egg and dairy industries are.
People tend to understand vegetarianism, even if they don't follow it, because they know the black-and-white reality is that animals have to die in order for humans to eat their meat. But since going vegan in 2012, I have repeatedly heard, "But animals don't get killed for their eggs and milk!" and "They lay eggs and produce milk anyway!"
For some reason, we don't grow up with the realization that animals only lactate after they have had babies, just like humans. And that farmers don't wait for a male and female to feel randy, put on some Barry White music, and let nature take its course. On factory farms, the females are artificially inseminated and then the babies are ripped away from them so the milk can be collected for greedy humans who think that dairy is their only, or best, source of calcium.
First of all, it's not. Plant sources like almonds and broccoli are high in calcium and absorbed easily without the heavy lactose and antibiotics injected. Dairy milk is actually hard on the human body (including bones) whether or not someone has been diagnosed as lactose-intolerant or altogether allergic. That's because cow milk is meant for calves, who grow to be about 400 lbs.
Second of all, cows are very sweet, sensitive and maternal animals who happen to notice that their babies are stolen away and bellow out for them for days. Their babies are often sold into the veal industry or forced to endure the same fate as their mothers who are subjected to puppy mill-like over-breeding from continuous forced pregnancies.
Since male chicks are useless to egg farmers, they end up discarded like trash by literally being thrown into chippers. Some people feel good about buying "free run" or "free range" or "grain-fed" or "organic" meat, dairy or eggs, but the guidelines on those labels are incredibly lenient.
Cows, pigs, lambs, chickens, turkeys, ducks, and fish are all beautiful creatures that are just as lovable and unique as our pets. Our society claims to love its dogs, cats and horses, but we often dismiss the others or we justify their killing by convincing ourselves we need the protein, calcium, iron, etc.
By the way, we don't. A well-rounded vegan diet consists of beans, lentils, nuts, soy protein, wheat protein, pea protein, grains, spices, vegetables and fruit. Simply put, it is a really fantastic and guilt-free way to live once you get the hang of it.