An escalating culture war in the United States pits our appetites against our compassion for animals.

Agriculture interests see an enemy in The Humane Society of the United States. One of their main voices calls the animal-welfare organization a bunch of “humaniacs” who ultimately want to remove the eggs and bacon from your plate, the burger from your bun, and the dog from the foot of your bed.

Unfazed, the Humane Society dismisses what its director calls a “bilge pump” of lies and defamations. It is pushing ahead, state by state, for laws against cruelty, from “puppy mills” to intensive confinement of animals in factory farms.

Read the full story at kansascity.com