1.When did you first find out about the dairy industry?
2.How long were you a part of animal rights activism before then?
3.How soon did you adapt to a dairy alternative?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RNFFRGz1Qs
http://www.veganpeace.com/animal_cruelty/dairy.htm
http://www.chooseveg.com/dairy.asp
http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/Cows-Milk-A-Cruel-and-Unhealthy-Product.aspx

For me,
1. I first found out about the dairy industry two and a half years ago. I remember a very motivated vegan who took the time to talk about the dairy industry whereas some other vegans didn’t tell me about it (they told me that they were “just glad to be working towards the same goal!” and that they “respected” my choices). If it wasn’t for them giving it to me straight, I wouldn’t have taken time to research it further and I never would have gone vegan! I really appreciate it when people are willing to tell me the whole story, no matter what others may think. “Respect” is great, but it should never come at the cost of someone else’s life!
2. I was a vegetarian (sadly) for three whole years prior, because I had absolutely no idea. I thought vegetarianism was enough, I was always content with how much I was doing for animals and the environment even though I was missing the bigger picture. If there were more PETA ads about the dairy industry back then, I would have made the switch earlier! I think PETA needs to focus more on all of the actions we can take in our daily lives to be better for animals, not just talking about boycotting bullfighting or the circus (because we don’t do these things every day).
3. I had already been drinking soy milk instead of regular milk because I wanted clearer skin (and got it!) so there was little change I needed to make in my life. I gave up cheese quickly because it was never a major part of my food choices, but I didn’t really fill that gap in with anything until half a year or more later when we (my sister and I) tried some vegan cheese. Then we came across stuff like vegan ice cream, tofurky pizza, and nutritional yeast. The substitutes all have an acquired taste, but eventually they tend to taste better than what you remember of regular dairy products.