I am almost vegetarian, and have been for some years. Not quite though. And I love dairy products, so giving up those will be a struggle.
But the plight of the cattle raised for slaughter arises for me regularly, as I drive by the stockyards outside Keremeos several times a year. When I see horses, my stomach turns over. I try to believe they are being fed prior to relocation.
The economic justification - the livelihoods lost, etc. - does not persuade me. It is morally parallel to the economic argument of arms production, that is, is your livelihood justified by contributing to the killing of others, however indirectly?