| Old Codger 2008-02-18, 9:25 am |
| Beef Recall Underscores Need to Protect "Downer" Cows
Dear David,
Yesterday, the USDA issued the largest recall of beef in U.S. history,
the latest action in response to The Humane Society of the United
States’ groundbreaking undercover investigation of a dairy cow
slaughter plant in Southern California.
The recall of 143 million pounds of beef came two days after San
Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos filed criminal
charges against slaughter plant workers caught on video torturing
crippled cattle, and two weeks after the USDA shut down that slaughter
plant.
Our undercover investigation
http://tinyurl.com/2mdutr
revealed shocking abuses of "downed" dairy cows -- those who are too
sick or injured to walk -- at the Hallmark Meat Packing Company
slaughter plant. Cows too weak to stand were dragged along the ground,
shocked with electric prods, rammed with forklifts, and even forced to
endure water being forced into their noses and throats -- an act right
out of the manual on water boarding.
Please watch our investigative video, and then take action today to
stop this cruelty from happening again.
http://tinyurl.com/2mdutr
Our video of the cruelty is very difficult to watch. Even worse is the
thought that an outfit like Hallmark Meat Packing Company got away
with this kind of abuse every day, without proper oversight from the
USDA.
Urge the USDA to tighten its lax enforcement of the downer rule and to
close the rule's loophole -- so that cows who are obviously in no
shape to walk are not brought to slaugherhouses in the first place and
then abused once they are there.
Thank you for all you do for animals.
Sincerely,
Wayne Pacelle
President & CEO
The Humane Society of the United States
http://www.humanesociety.org/
|