Slaughter House Abuse From Agriculture's Best Friend, HSUS

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shorthorns r us

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Humane Treatment of Livestock Brought into Question with Damning Video from HSUS.
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Video footage has been released by the Humane Society of the United States showing workers at a California slaughterhouse delivering repeated electric shocks to cows too sick or weak to stand on their own; drivers using forklifts to roll the "downer" cows on the ground in efforts to get them to stand up for inspection; and even a veterinary version of waterboarding in which high-intensity water sprays are shot up animals' noses. The Humane Society points out that these are all violations of state and federal laws designed to prevent animal cruelty and to keep unhealthy animals out of the food supply.

The President of the Humane Society of the United States, Wayne Pacelle, says the footage was taken at Hallmark Meat Packing in Chino, California. Hallmark's operations manager, Steve Mendell, expressed disbelief that employees used stun guns to get sick or injured animals on their feet for inspection. He said - that's impossible - electrical prods are not allowed on the property. As for other actions seen in the video, Mendell used such words as - I can't imagine that - that's absolutely not true - and impossible.

The American Meat Institute says the practices shown in the just-released video are disturbing and stand in sharp contrast to animal handling practices in the meat industry broadly. AMI Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, Janet Riley, says the video is - simply not typical of animal handling at U.S. meat plants.
New Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer quickly issued a statement saying that USDA will be investigating the facts behind this video and that as a result of the investigation, any violations of food safety or humane handling laws will be immediately acted upon.

One question that begs to be answered (and was raised by Schafer) is if you had such video footage- why would you not release it immediately? What's the agenda of the Humane Society by holding it? Secreatry Schafer said it is unfortunate that the Humane Society of the United States did not present this information to us when these alleged violations occurred in the fall of 2007. He adds - had we known at the time the alleged violations occurred, we would have initiated our investigation sooner and taken appropriate actions at that time.

https://community.hsus.org/campaign/CA_2008_investigation?qp_source=gaba89
 

Bawndoh

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That is just aweful.  You know, sometimes cattle can be agrivating, and piss a person off, but never in my life would I ask for them to be treated like that!!  Those images are only a few of thousands that show animals being treated inhumanely (for lack of a better word).  I realize, having had downer cows at my own farm, that sometimes you do need machinery to move them around.  It is interesting to know the steriotyping that goes on when a downed cow, with mad cow disease gets thrown into the food chain (by the slaughter plant themselves).  Where I am from, the city folks are quick to attack farmers and ranchers...completely unaware that we are usually the last ones who would have allowed a "mad cow" into the food chain.
 

Jill

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Maybe I am naive, but I find that really hard to believe, we have tried to have cows butchered that we knew what the problems were and no one will touch them if they can't stand, even for personal use.  With technology today I wouldn't trust something I hadn't seen first hand, anything can be doctored on film or video. 
 

kanshow

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May 24, 2007
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Kansas
Is this still around?  I thought we went thru all this several years ago.  It's been impossible to sell downer cows (or cancer eyes) for several years now.  It's also impossible to have those types butchered at any of the locker plant for home use.    The only thing to do with those animals is to have them humanely put down and then have the rendering wagon to haul them off. 
 

knabe

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just goes to show that feelings are more effective than facts.

it's why populism is winning.  takes less time to explain and it moves an agenda faster.

without the need to explain or provide context or facts, they can move on to the next voting bloc to seal the deal for unification where no one has an identity, especially americans.

the rapture of secular progressives must be a beautiful thing.  probably involves a lot of hugging and progesterone shots.

i wonder if the abusers were "paid" and what their citizenship is. it's pretty clear who the filmers are.  probably financed by soros, ie mccain and hillary.

soros is a foreigner meddling in politics and should be punished under current law.
 

shortyjock89

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IL
That "Public Health Expert" is an idiot.  How is having manure on a slaughtered animal exposing the public to BSE?  Last time I checked, BSE was transmitted via the consumption of the brain or spinal cord tissue of an animal that actually had BSE.  I don't want animals to be treated inhumanely any more than any other person with a soul.  God's creatures should be treated fairly and what they did at that plant was wrong..but in my experience, those sort of actions are rare, especially here in the Midwest...Democrats make me sick.
 

shorthorns r us

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USDA Begins Investigation into the Video Allegations from Last Fall of Mistreatment of Downer Cattle in California.
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A video released by the Humane Society of the US grabbed the attention of U.S. Ag Secretary Ed Schafer this week. Schafer immediately called on the Office of the Inspector General to work with USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service and USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service to investigate.

A briefing on the startup of that investigation was held yesterday with Kenneth Peterson of the FSIS speaking on behalf of the department. He says that the video apparently shows major violations of current law by the employees being recorded. He adds that the video leaves a lot of questions to be answered and that will be where the USDA investigation really begins.

Peterson says that USDA intends to talk with the Humane Society's investigators to marry up what is shown on the tape with other observations that aren't on tape. He says USDA has started discussions with the Humane Society - will look to get as much video as possible - and will ask to interview those investigators. We have comments with Kenneth Peterson on our first of February Beef Buzz heard on great radio stations around the state on the Radio Oklahoma Network- and available to be listened to on our website. We also have it linked for you below- take a listen!

http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001sRtqsexJtCTe-LuFAKBwnflQ_4gxyfQSMgHyohjqsAEvhi95PmiXJov46AvcSjydSED_BKm-1S1Y-HviySxVul9HnxRY5iIbYb98JjfAlUdHRElN0wp8oU-an7ME1UiVkLw9gDHiwwDAbEfCfQsPQb6fLyOK3AaP

 

TPX

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Last night I was watching the KTLA news and they had a story about abuse at the Chico slaughter plant.  The were butchering cull cows and some of them were what we would call downer cows so they were pushing, draging and carrying them with a fork lift in order to get them inside.  It was pretty disgusting but I couldnt understand why they were even allowed to slaughter these cattle for human consumption, does the USA not have rules and regulations against this kinda thing.  In Canada downer cows are not put into the human consumption and they are automaticaly tested for bse, to me all the downer cows in the video were prime suspects for bse and should have been tested its no wonder that the USA doesnt have very many cases when cows like this arent being tested.  Another thing that shocked me is I ahve been to a few slaughter plants  up here and they were very clean with tight rules and there was a governmnen official there to make sure everything by the book,  the Chino plant was dirty and nasty so I was wondering if the USA as officials at every plant watching what goes on?  I hope that this doesnt hurt the beef industry and that the people that did this are held responsible.
 

Show Heifer

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I don't understand why the cattlemans assoc and other farmer/livestock groups don't attack such abuse of animals publicly. I was talking about that video to someone on my cell phone while in a groc store, when I hung up, the lady behind me ask if I cared to join the animal rights group in town. I about choked. When I explained to her I raised animals and ate them, she couldn't believe that someone like me (who raised and ate meat) could have feelings/respect for animals. Maybe some public statements on behalf of the livestock industry condoning such abuse would do some good!
 

Diamond

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I agree with you there show, however I do fear that things are only going to get worse as time go's on. As much as I hate to admit to even thinking such a thing, if we continue on this path the cattle industry is going to face a same situation as the horse industry-- a banning of animals for consumption. Its not going to happen in our generation but down the road they are going to strive for it, and who's going to argue? Us? The farming population is dwindling and many of the 'next farmer' generations are moving into more stable careers. Not to mention most farmland that's worth anything is being turned into housing, and its not like we are going to till up houses and put farms back any time soon. My father puts it right when he said " we are growing people"

People in America are blind, outta site outa mind. they seem so proud of there self's that horses aren't dyeing on our soil, but they care nothing of the horrific trip they take to Mexico where they die out of the protective eyes of our laws. Pink herself is rallying agents carriage horses in new York saying its cruel to make them work, but its ok for them to starve or be shipped off because there owner can no longer have a use for them? Idiots should do what they do best, leave livestock to those who know best.

In Connecticut (where im from) people actually believe that meat comes from test tubes, here where 15 years ago there where dozens of farms in my town there's now only 1, mine, where people think they exist as a petting zoo.

So I put up a sign "please don't play with my food."
 

garybob

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Diamond said:
I agree with you there show, however I do fear that things are only going to get worse as time go's on. As much as I hate to admit to even thinking such a thing, if we continue on this path the cattle industry is going to face a same situation as the horse industry-- a banning of animals for consumption. Its not going to happen in our generation but down the road they are going to strive for it, and who's going to argue? Us? The farming population is dwindling and many of the 'next farmer' generations are moving into more stable careers. Not to mention most farmland that's worth anything is being turned into housing, and its not like we are going to till up houses and put farms back any time soon. My father puts it right when he said " we are growing people"

People in America are blind, outta site outa mind. they seem so proud of there self's that horses aren't dyeing on our soil, but they care nothing of the horrific trip they take to Mexico where they die out of the protective eyes of our laws. Pink herself is rallying agents carriage horses in new York saying its cruel to make them work, but its ok for them to starve or be shipped off because there owner can no longer have a use for them? Idiots should do what they do best, leave livestock to those who know best.

In Connecticut (where im from) people actually believe that meat comes from test tubes, here where 15 years ago there where dozens of farms in my town there's now only 1, mine, where people think they exist as a petting zoo.

So I put up a sign "please don't play with my food."
And, might I ask, how did your sub-urbanite neighbors react to such brash, public display of "barbarism"?
 

milkmaid56

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the chino slaughterhouse is where we send our cull cattle.... there is an auction yard in chino that is where hallmark buys most of the cattle and then they are loaded up and sent across town to the slaughterhouse... when we sell our cattle we stay and watch them go through the sale and i have to say at least at the sale barn that the holstein cows are treated much more poorly than beef cows. ive seen the holsteins go through the sale and id say at least 25% of the cows look like theyre going to be downers at any moment.  and yet hallmark keeps buying those cows, but for about half the price as the ones that look much stronger. these cows that can barely walk through the sale ring are then being reloaded and packed tight as sardines and taken across town to the slaughterhouse and then unloaded. so cows that werent in the best of shape anyways and they bought for reduced price go down and then they lose money if they cant get her processed.  so i really think the problem here is that hallmark needs to stop buying cows that are questionable so that dairymen stop sending cows that are high risk for going down.  how hallmark was treating the down cows was really horrible, and it makes me sick thinking that if one of our cows that we sold them went down for some reason on the way to the slaughterhouse and that is the way she was treated.  my family has beef cattle and i have one hostein cow that is a 4-h project and even though we sell our beef cull cattle to hallmark, i would never ever take my holstein cow to the sale.  id rather shoot her myself because its amazing how different the workers treat the holsteins than the beef cows.  these are just my observations and thoughts on the issue.
 

doubled

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I saw it on the news I had to leave the room, Im such a softie I cant take that, so cruel
 

Diamond

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And, might I ask, how did your sub-urbanite neighbors react to such brash, public display of "barbarism"?
[/quote]

they thought it was cute...
 

knabe

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all landowners are evil. :mad:

this is, sadly, the political agenda. 

since communists can't win the argument with logic, their logic is to win basically with emotion in significant numbers, hence the illegals (again, of all races).

they usually vote for benefits.

it's much easier to create a communist than it is a capitalist when the communists own the schools.

over 90% of the media is registered democrat.

it really looks like there is no diversity from the diversity crowd.
 

Show Heifer

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Still seems to me that EDUCATION is the key. What else can the people believe from SF or Atlanta or St.Louis or Minneapolis or Tampa if the animal rights propaganda is all they have access to? I have spoke to several not so favorable crowds about livestock production. Although it was uncomfortable, and hard to keep my composure, I also changed a few views.

"What? You actually CRY when you lose a calf?"  "You mean you feed your sheep even when it is ZERO out?"  "You took off your coat in 10 degree weather to warm a calf?"  "You had a lamb in your KITCHEN????"

It is most funny talking to these people and how easy it is to change their view of animal agriculture. If they don't LEARN anything different, why do we expect them to KNOW different?

Education is the only thing that is going to save "our" way of life. You better get on board.
 
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