Now let`s take a look at the counter claims made by the opposite party.

The vegan claim – that ending the life of an animal is wrong or bad – must be scrutinized upon its own merits. What makes it wrong to do so? Most activists tied to the ideology, claim that it is because animals are living beings that experience pain. Therefore, it is not acceptable to cause pain to another living being, be they human or animal.

From the Islamic perspective, this argument is flawed. Not only do humans and animals experience pain, joy, and sorrows, so too do plants and other creatures that are unable to see.
عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَقُومُ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ إِلَى شَجَرَةٍ أَوْ نَخْلَةٍ، فَقَالَتِ امْرَأَةٌ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ ـ أَوْ رَجُلٌ ـ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَلاَ نَجْعَلُ لَكَ مِنْبَرًا قَالَ ‏”‏ إِنْ شِئْتُمْ ‏”‏‏.‏ فَجَعَلُوا لَهُ مِنْبَرًا، فَلَمَّا كَانَ يَوْمُ الْجُمُعَةِ دُفِعَ إِلَى الْمِنْبَرِ، فَصَاحَتِ النَّخْلَةُ صِيَاحَ الصَّبِيِّ، ثُمَّ نَزَلَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَضَمَّهُ إِلَيْهِ تَئِنُّ أَنِينَ الصَّبِيِّ، الَّذِي يُسَكَّنُ، قَالَ ‏”‏ كَانَتْ تَبْكِي عَلَى مَا كَانَتْ تَسْمَعُ مِنَ الذِّكْرِ عِنْدَهَا ‏”‏‏.
Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah RA:
The Prophet (ﷺ) used to stand by a tree or a date-palm on Friday. Then an Ansari woman or man said. “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! Shall we make a pulpit for you?” He replied, “If you wish.” So they made a pulpit for him and when it was Friday, he proceeded towards the pulpit (for delivering the sermon). The date palm cried like a child! The Prophet (ﷺ) descended (the pulpit) and embraced it while it continued moaning like a child being quietened. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “It was crying for (missing) what it used to hear of religious knowledge given near to it.” [Sahih al-Bukhari 3584]

There are various verses of the Holy Quran that show that animals have been created for the benefit of man, for example:
وَٱللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنۢ بُيُوتِكُمْ سَكَنًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّن جُلُودِ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ بُيُوتًا تَسْتَخِفُّونَهَا يَوْمَ ظَعْنِكُمْ وَيَوْمَ إِقَامَتِكُمْ ۙ وَمِنْ أَصْوَافِهَا وَأَوْبَارِهَا وَأَشْعَارِهَآ أَثَـٰثًا وَمَتَـٰعًا إِلَىٰ حِينٍ
Allah has made your homes the place for your rest, and animal skins for tents like houses so that you may find them light when you travel and easy to pitch when you stop; while from their wool, fur, and hair He provides you household items and articles of convenience for your prescribed term of life. [An Nahl 16: 80]

Muslims believe that all creatures in the universe, both animate and inanimate, have life, procreation, language, and senses that are particular to each kind. “Sentient” is a quality of all living beings, just in different forms. If the vegan ideology is applied consistently, it will prevent a devoted vegan Muslim from chopping down, killing, and consuming even plant life.
You may not want to eat meat, but if you not going to eat plant-life (anything that grows on the earth), then what are you going to eat?