First off, I think PETA’s leadership is crazy. But, apparently they have enough money to keep a state park open. I have to wonder what rich nutjobs give these people money.
I’m all for animals under human care being humanely treated. I also know what it would do to the price of meat. I’m okay with that, but I’m not struggling as much as some, am a good cook even with vegetarian dishes, and really couldn’t give a damn if domestic species of animals die out or not. Die out, you ask? If we all went vegan, where would be the incentive to keep these expensive and expensive to care for animals? Holsteins didn’t evolve in nature, friends, and need specific care. Many domestic species either can’t survive in the wild or would be damn dangerous to let loose if they can. Go up against a wild pig unarmed sometime. If you survive, you’ll only do it once. And I don’t think you’ll feel quite as warm and fuzzy about Wilbur any more.
Have these people ever seen an animal hunt? For that matter, have they ever really watched cats that they want to rename fish “sea kittens” to produce some kind of emotive response in people? Cats are sadistic little monsters. I’ve taken mice away from my cats and put them out of their misery because the squeaking got to be too much for me. 
greendalek did the same with a dove, once, because the cat had spent about fifteen minutes crippling it and then toying with it. It was awful.
I won’t go into the ethics of eating meat, because I’ve not examined the logical arguments for and against. Logical, not emotive. The poor fuzzy animals approach doesn’t work on me when there are human beings under conditions just as bad if not worse. I know I feel physically better and healthier when I eat a diet of primarily meat and produce (not grains). That doesn’t leave much room for the vegan diet. I realize that doesn’t touch the arguments about a living thing having to die for me to feel energetic and healthy, but I’ll be blunt. People die for those cheap clothes you’re wearing, too. I find that a bigger concern.
And that’s where it comes down to for me. While the ecosystem needs to be cared for so we don’t foul our own nest, I do think sentient, thinking beings are more important than non-sentient, thinking beings. (Hey, hadda throw that in there. Science fiction fan and all).
No offence Noel, but you do make yourself out to be rather ignorant about the subject matter. First off I agree that PETA is very extreme and make a bad name for themselves (very counteractive to their cause) they do however provide a lot of true information about the conditions of factory farms where most of the US meat/dairy/eggs come from.
I don’t think that it would be wise to release domesticated animals into the wild. Not only would it throw off the local ecosystem even more than having a polluting factory farm, there would be uncontrolled breeding of the animals and spread of disease and like you said the likely danger to humans.
The problem with factory farms is that they produce a lot of waste. You point out that:
“The poor fuzzy animals approach doesn’t work on me when there are human beings under conditions just as bad if not worse.”
Yes there are a lot of humans in terrible conditions on this planet and producing meat does not help them either. In fact it could be argued that it only makes matters worse. Feed for the animals has to be grown or produced somewhere and their waste has to go somewhere too. When food bypasses animals its production becomes much more efficient. There could be more food for people. I think people should come first too.
Like you said those animals didn’t make themselves. Humans bred them for the purpose eating them. This I know. But another animal on this earth is another mouth to feed… and that much more waste and pollution. So the most logical thing is to eat the farmed animals, but to bred less of them and to raise the quality of the food being produced by them.
Trust me I’m not trying to convert anyone. If you knew some of the facts about where your food comes from I think that you would be disgusted. Perhaps you would be more likely to buy meat/animal products from a local farm that you know is clean.
http://www.peta2.com/p2vsk2_flash/
page 6 and 7 are good, just ignore the cute fuzzy animals on the other pages and mute the sound it is annoying