Pigs have cognitive abilities comparable to dogs and young children, making their treatment in intensive agriculture a profound ethical concern.
Pigs are cognitively sophisticated animals whose intelligence rivals that of dogs and young children. They experience complex emotions, form social bonds, and demonstrate learning abilities that suggest rich inner lives. The conditions of intensive pig farming — gestation crates that prevent movement, crowded farrowing systems, early weaning, and tail docking — represent a profound disconnect between what we know about pig cognition and how we treat them. As scientific understanding of pig intelligence grows, the ethical case for their continued intensive confinement becomes increasingly difficult to justify.