I know this is a very debated issue, and I will add here my 2p. This is what I think about the issue, then no pun intended.
I love animals, I feel really bad when i hear about any animal mistreated or "modified" to fit our standards (like ear clipping for dogs and so), because I think it is essential to respect any form of life on Earth. I'm an ecologist, I support many campaigns and I have three cats adopted from the rubbish bin, literally. I do not wear fur I'm absolutely against hunting, BUT I am not vegetarian. Now, I know that there are many considerations pro and contra vegetarianism and veganism, and I'm not against that, but I belong to the camp of those who think that the human being is supposed to be somewhere on the upper parts of the food chain, so even if it is regrettable that we must survive killing other living beings, I still think that is part of a natural scenario that would be no good to subvert.
I also must add that I have travelled a lot, and during my wanderings I have really tasted many different animals. In Australia, for example, I tasted kangaroo, shark, crocodile, emu, ecc. And I even liked them! Now, I can perfectly understand the "double standard" issue, because, for example, here in Italy we eat rabbit, whereas bunnies are beloved companions for many. But so are even chicken, so how can we trace a line? I think it is merely a cultural issue, so that is not something I can judge. I would be horrified to eat cat, as I so love my three babies, but I can understand that there are places on Earth where cats are eaten.
Anyway, the point I wanted to raise is another. I am not against eating meat, but I would gladly accept to eat less meat. Like, say, once a week or so. The "meat-industry" is a giant that is difficult to fight in any way, they are interested in producing more and more and the final product is not even good. I mean, we have chickens that cannot move their entire life, or calves that are not even fed properly so that their meat is whiter (all to meet some kind of higher consumer standards..!) and so on. The way these animals are treated is inhuman and absolutely unacceptable. I think that if everybody gave up a little of their meat, eating less - which is even good for health! - slowly, very slowly, there could be a shift in the industry as well. My dream would be to get back to a substainable economy, in which Earth and its animals are not enslaved and mistreated. Even 50-60 yrs ago, farmers were almost self-sufficient, raised their kettle and pigs and chickens with care and killed them only when necessary. What is really irritating is that western countries live in a overdose of unnecessary meat abundance, and to achieve this, poor animal are treated in a horrible way.
So, yes, I eat meat. But I try to avoid the mass-produced meat, to consume it in moderation, and to find reliable sources that can somhow grant me that the animal, during its life, was well treated. I know this is not a solution, but is the best way I could find for myself. I hope I have not offended anybody. As I said in the beginning, this is jus my 2p...