Last year, Domino’s got some major flak for its Cow Appreciation Day tweet. But that didn’t stop them from Tweeting about cheese pizza along with the hashtag #CowAppreciationDay again this year.
RT if you couldn't live without cheese pizza. #CowAppreciationDay #UndeniablyDairy pic.twitter.com/R36h54znts
— Domino's Pizza (@dominos) July 10, 2018
in 2017, the pizza chain tweeted out a “thanks” to cows, saying, “Without cows, there would be no CHEESE PIZZA.” Vegans of Twitter were not stoked. We suspect reactions will be similar this year. Here’s what people had to say:
Without cows, there would be no CHEESE PIZZA ??? #CowAppreciationDay #UndeniablyDairy pic.twitter.com/WKUoNkAgr7
— Domino's Pizza (@dominos) July 11, 2017
Australian musician and guitarist for the band I Killed the Prom Queen Jona Weinhofen was quick to call the food chain out. He asked it to show its appreciation for cows by not abusing and slaughtering them.
The reply with the greatest number of comments was from someone requesting that the chain add vegan cheese to its menu.
Please add vegan ? cheese ? to your options and make it WORLDWIDE
?♥️?♥️?♥️?♥️?♥️?
— Robrt (@Red1es) July 12, 2017
And this top commenter wasn’t alone.
Please offer a Vegan alternative!??
— COURT (@courtneybbrown) July 11, 2017
Many other people tweeted out similar requests for nondairy options.
No! We want vegan cheese!!! ?✨
— gabrielle mina (@gaby_mina) July 12, 2017
Please offer a dairy free option so we can enjoy our pizza without the cruelty #CowAppreciationDay #GoVegan pic.twitter.com/4C4MCtu7uW
— Cat ? (@CrazyVeganCat) July 11, 2017
Others tried to reason with the pizza chain by explaining that many companies have already made the shift to including vegan options.
And some of those companies chimed in to verify that being vegan requires zero cruelty, is suitable for everyone, and is the fastest-growing lifestyle in the world.
Sorry guys, here's our Four Cheese pizza. Cows left to themselves! That's how you do #CowAppreciationDay. pic.twitter.com/AuYZPDP8B7
— Purezza (@PurezzaUK) July 12, 2017
ZERO cruelty and suitable for EVERYONE! Plus, it's the fastest growing lifestyle in the world! ? #dairyfree #vegan
— Bute Island Foods (@ButeIslandFoods) July 12, 2017
Caring Twitter users tried to inform the company that using cows for dairy foods is cruel and unnecessary.
And without cheese, baby calves could stay with their mothers rather than being killed or kidnapped. Please offer a dairy free option! pic.twitter.com/w867iCA3lv
— Amelia ? (@tofu_vegan) July 11, 2017
Others explained that Domino’s simply can’t appreciate cows if it’s exploiting them and paying for their abuse and death.
How can you appreciate a cow by exploiting and paying for their abuse/death? Non dairy alternatives are healthier, delicious, & save cows. pic.twitter.com/Z3hxbGUhgk
— aKiraⓋ (@cosmicreed) July 12, 2017
Ah yes, appreciating cows by stealing their calves, giving them a life of distress and ending their life far earlier than naturally pic.twitter.com/j7vpyvl6ni
— lauren Ⓥ? (@Laurenpearsonnx) July 12, 2017
Stealing cow's milk that is for their calf — is not appreciating them..#CowAppreciationDay should not be about human exploiting cow's.
— Anxiety Space (@TheAnxietySpace) July 11, 2017
Some people were infuriated that the company would capitalize on a day to appreciate cows when, in reality, countless cows die every day for companies like Domino’s that use dairy foods.
COWS SUFFERING FOR CHEESE!!! pic.twitter.com/jwpBcBkkaU
— Joelle Vann (@Jowhaletail) July 11, 2017
And some used GIFs to show just how cringe the whole situation was.
— L Ⓥ (@HalfBlackJesus) July 12, 2017
It’s understandable that there was such an uproar over Domino’s’ insensitive tweet.
Perhaps the pizza chain doesn’t know that millions of cows are abused in the dairy industry for foods like cheese pizza. Baby cows are typically torn away from their mothers on the same day that they’re born so that their milk can be sold to humans instead. This causes extreme distress for both mother and calf.
Male calves are killed a few months later for veal, and females are put back into the industry and used for their milk. Most cows on dairy farms endure extreme neglect and abuse before they’re slaughtered.
Using cows for dairy foods is completely unnecessary, since so many delicious nondairy cheeses exist. Domino’s, please listen to your Twitter community (and all other compassionate human beings out there) and start offering vegan cheese in the U.S.!
In the meantime, use this guide to learn how you can order vegan at Domino’s, Papa John’s, and Pizza Hut.