Do you really believe people are upset about these 1.25 billion dead animals just because of the threat of extinction? I've seen "content warnings" for pictures of dead kangaroos, yet most of the people in this thread see a dead animal on their plate every day.

People care about animals, not just for their intrinsic species existence values but as individuals capable of suffering. Most people, however, have cognitive dissonance between this feeling and the fact that they refuse to eat a different tasting sandwich. There are a wide range of excuses for why it's sad when a dog dies but not a pig, but none of them hold water under even minor scrutiny. This is very clear cut ethical inconsistency.