Vegans Save 198 Animals a Year

treehouse1977/CC by 2.0 The average meat eater eats  a half a pig a year.

We have some good news and some bad news. First, the good news: The total number of land animals killed and eaten by Americans decreased by 300 million between 2008 and 2009 and by 600 million between 2006 and 2009. Americans also ate 500 million fewer fish in 2009 than in 2008.

The bad news is that Americans are eating more shellfish—the average American ate about five more crabs, lobsters, shrimp, and oysters, than in 2008.

These figures come courtesy of PETA member and mathematician extraordinaire Noam Mohr, who has studied government and industry figures and compiled a report on the number of animals served up on American tables. You can read his entire report here.

Based on these figures, Noam calculated that each year the average person consumes:

• Roughly 130 shellfish
• 40 fish
• 26 chickens
• One turkey,
• Nearly half a pig
• A little more than a tenth of a cow

Since vegans eat no animals, each vegan saves nearly 200 animals per year. Of course, these are animals who won't be torn out of their ocean homes or confined to cramped, filthy barns, cages, and pens before being hung upside down on the slaughter line and having their throats cut. Yay, vegans!

So the next time someone asks you why you're a vegetarian, tell him or her that you have about 200 really good reasons.

Written by Alisa Mullins