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"For a somewhat malicious counter point... if the entire world stopped using dairy and beef, the cow as we know it would quickly go extinct. They have no natural habitat, they can't take care of themselves, and they make really lousy pets. "

Reframing factory farming as a conservation measure is a very cyncial view. That's top notch spin doctoring and worth a long career in lobbying.

"the entire world stopped using dairy and beef, the cow as we know it would quickly go extinct"

Lots of animals are not used for meat and dairy and are not extinct. Sure, numbers of cows would be massively reduced but that also frees up pasture. Pasture could be converted to habitat for wildlife and support a more diverse set of species.

I can only speak for myself, but I don't care if the number of cattle are reduced to a tiny fraction of the population they once were, if it means more biodiversity.

> For a somewhat malicious counter point

I don't think you understand what vegans (typically) actually object to.

I don't understand this focus on "species" in the abstract over the individual members of the species.

> if the entire world stopped using dairy and beef, the cow as we know it would quickly go extinct

So what? Why should the cow exist for the sake of existing?