KIRO TV’s investigative report on downers
I received information about this from both Farm Sanctuary and Action for Animals today:
Downed animal cruelty exposed!
Downed animals, animals too sick even to stand, continue to suffer intolerable abuse as they are marketed and slaughtered for human food. This cruelty is allowed to continue because it occurs out of public view.
Standing up to agribusiness pressure, KIRO-TV in Seattle, Washington has aired several stories exposing the abuse of downed animals, educating citizens. KIRO is now conducting a survey to measure consumer opinion. Please visit http://www.kirotv.com/news/2267247/detail.html for more information and to express your opinion.
KIRO TV’s site has many other related articles, that pertain to the issue, reactions from the public, the government, and the meat & dairy industries, along with KIRO’s responses to the last two. There are also two poll questions you can vote on. Please take some time to peruse these articles! And you can email the articles to your friends! This is a topic people need to know about.
UPDATE: From Farm Sanctuary’s 6/24 e-newsletter:
Downed Animal Protection Act Introduced
The Downed Animal Protection Act was re-introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate in Washington, DC. The bill includes more original co-sponsors than ever before, with the combined support of more than 100 lawmakers in the House and Senate.
Last year, during the 107th Congress, downed animal protection legislation successfully passed both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives as part of the Farm Bill. Sadly, the Act was undermined by an agribusiness-friendly Conference Committee, which left downed animals to suffer without basic humane protection.
The Downed Animal Protection Act would ban the sale of downed animals ò animals too sick or injured to even stand. Downed animals can still be sold for human consumption, as long as the animals are alive when they arrive at the slaughterhouse. Downed animals who are still “marketable” are literally dragged to slaughter with chains and often suffer for days in pain, without food, water or basic care.
Your help is needed to stop downed animal cruelty. This year, we are in the best position yet to move this legislation forward. Please contact your Representative and Senators and urge them to co-sponsor the Downed Animal Protection Act. For more information, please see:
http://www.nodowners.org/intro_dapa.htm.
(Here’s what they’re talking about.)
“A dead cow or sheep lying in the pasture is recognized as carrion. The same sort of carcass dressed and hung up in a butchers stall passes as food.”
– J. H. Kellogg