why be vegan?

A lot of people think being a vegan is extreme. As humans we are compassionate and care for other living beings, so why is it okay to eat a cow rather than a dog? simply because we live with our pets and create strong bonds with them and see how they are. It is not a norm for us to eat household pets, but if we were raised on thinking so we wouldn't think twice about it. We are raised on thinking it is okay to eat a cow, chicken and fish, we are also raised to think we NEED the protein from animals when actually we don't, in fact it is the opposite. A list of diseases are associated with eating meat. Eating meat actually hardens your blood vessels, when you eat it you literally have rotting meat in your stomach. People just think vegans are vegan simply for the animals but it is much more than that, it is also part of environment. Meat impacts the environment more than any other food we eat, mainly because livestock require much more land, food, water, and energy than plants to raise and transport. So before u eat that piece of steak just think how it got on your plate. At least be aware of whats going on.