02.27.08
Dairy Cow Abuse at Slaughterhouse
Workers at the Hallmark slaughter plant kicked, shocked, jabbed at the eyes, dragged with chains, and rammed dairy cows too sick or injured to walk with a fork lift in an effort to get them to stand to pass USDA inspections. “Downed” animals are by law not supposed to be added to the food supply. This is because in random USDA testing, 12 of the 15 cows who tested positive for mad cow disease, were downer animals, meaning downed animals far more likely to carry this tragic brain-wasting diesase.
The undercover investigation by the Humane Society of the United States shows that this Chino, California plant — which supplies meat to schools, and has twice won a USDA “Supplier of the Year” award — was slaughtering downed animals, and jeopardizing the health of children and others, for a few extra bucks.
As a result, 143 million pounds of beef have been recalled, making this the largest beef recall in U.S. history. Much of the potentially-contaminated meat has already been consumed. Skeptics point out that we have not suffered any major food poisoning scares lately, and wonder why all the fuss? What they don’t realize is that the incubation period for mad cow disease in humans can be 10 or more years. That’s how long it can take before this disease, which cannot be killed by cooking, starts to riddle your brain with holes.
If contamination of the food supply and animal abuse happens at this award-winning Hallmark plant — a facility with five federal inspectors and a veterinarian on staff who are there to prevent these things — it is hard to believe that it is not happening elsewhere as well.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: the best thing anyone can do to prevent animal abuse and protect their health is to go vegan.
Another video featuring the investigator explaining the abuses he witnessed can be found by clicking the second picture near the bottom of this page. showing more of the abuses at this facility. If you want a humorous video with information on the problem with farming, check out Doreen the Downer.
Rich said,
February 27, 2008 at 7:28 am
Thank you so very very much to everyone who courageously goes inside the slaughterhouses and helps us all to SEE the reality of these heinous crimes and abuses towards fellow beings.
In regards to the best thing we can do, to go vegan, I bought a particularly good cookbook today - “Student’s Go Vegan Cookbook” by Carole Raymond, that would be enormously helpful for ANYONE (student or not) thinking about switching to an all vegan diet! (I love simple recipes that anyone can actually do - inexpensive, too, so there are no excuses, it’s doable!!) (:
My heart applauds all of your efforts!! (:
Miss Dee said,
March 31, 2008 at 1:10 am
After seeing all animal abuse/slaughter around the world, I too am a vegetarian. The ways of society and how it treats its animals speaks to the core values and morals of its citizens.
My heart cries for all the pain and suffering innocent animals large or small has endured all these years. When will it all stop?
Farmer Bob said,
July 26, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Let me start by saying im NOT a vegetarian, i don’t have a problem with anyone who is; and i’ll try not to bias my opinion.
From the prospective of even the largest “factory” farms, animal abuse at the slaughterhouse is bad, especially when it leaks into the media. Consumers stop buying meat and prices for the animals they’re raising drops. Big farms don’t like this kind of stuff anymore than the biggest animal rights activists and please don’t blame “factory” farming or large scale animal raising for this
Thanks 4 taking the time to read
-Farmer Bob
Freeman Wicklund said,
July 27, 2008 at 9:12 am
Thanks, Farmer Bob, for taking the time to watch the video and write a post. Since this investigation, the HSUS has found cruelty to downers at two other stockyards and slaughterhouses. Although it is bad for the meat, dairy, and egg industries to have these types of cruelties exposed, they still perpetuate these abuses on a routine basis.
Everywhere undercover investigators go, they find horrible practices that offend the values of mainstream Americans. I believe that the more we expose these problems, the more ready we will be as a society to improve the situation by incorporating more vegetarian meals into our diets, ending abusive and neglectful farming practices, and improving our relationship with animals and the environnment.