I Scream, You Scream … Why Do Cows Scream for Ice Cream?

Dairy is scary for cows, and our new ad—a take on Edvard Munch’s iconic painting The Scream that we’ve plastered on the side of a Chicago ice cream shop—is reminding Windy City residents that there are screams of pain in every scoop of dairy-based ice cream. Our thought-provoking ad is already raising quite a ruckus: The property owner is screaming for it to be taken down because the ad is “bad for business.” We’re hoping to move it to another prominent Chicago spot, where even more viewers can be exposed to the cruelty that cows endure for ice cream.

Why do cows scream for ice cream? Almost all cows used for milk have their horns (or the sensitive tissue that will develop into horns) painfully amputated or gouged out with searing-hot irons, caustic chemicals, blades, saws, sharp wires, or guillotine dehorners. The terrified animals struggle violently and cry out in agony, and they’re rarely given any painkillers to ease their suffering. Their wounds can take more than three months to heal. In addition, cows on dairy farms are often pumped full of hormones to make them produce massive amounts of milk and are repeatedly impregnated—only to have their beloved calves kidnapped from them within hours of birth so that humans can take the milk that is intended for their babies.

What’s a compassionate ice cream lover to do? Simple: Put the freeze on scary dairy products and fill your bowl or top your cone with tasty, cruelty-free ice cream made from soy, rice, coconut, or almond milk instead. With so many nondairy ice creams available, it’s time to try vegan.