OldDog/NewTricks
Well-known member
Jolley: Getting Dead Serious About Animal Welfare
Let me quote a MOST DISTURBING story from Meatingplace.com’s November 19th afternoon news: “”People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals released a video showing workers at an Aviagen Turkeys poultry-breeding operation abusing live birds.
PETA sent an individual to work undercover at several Aviagen operations in West Virginia between September and November of this year, according to the video that was posted on the organization's Web site.
The video depicts Aviagen employees breaking turkey's necks and stomping on their heads while they are still alive. PETA also alleges that a supervisor saw workers kill 450 turkeys with two-by-fours.
Aviagen representatives told the New York Times that they "condemn the abuse of any of the animals in our care and will take swift action to address these issues." They also promised to pursue further investigations that could eventually lead to the employees in the video being fired.
Just before the holiday season each year, PETA often seeks publicity that is designed to sway people against choosing turkey as a mealtime option, or that reveals unsatisfactory conditions in industrial poultry operations. The organization proposes a seven-point animal welfare plan for the production of turkeys.””
This has got to stop and the major trade organizations – from NCBA to AMI, NCC to USPEA, NMA to AAMP – have got to put some serious teeth into their animal welfare positions. Please, do not tell me that these incidents are anomalies. You know it and I know it. After cases like Hallmark, Smithfield, MowMar Farms and Portales Livestock Auction, though, I fear the American public has some serious doubts, making it absurdly easy for the general public to pass California’s Prop 2 by an almost 2 to 1 margin.
In a recent Cattlenetwork interview, Steve Kopperud agreed that “These episodes are anomalies.” He made an important point, though, when he went on to say, “but not one can be tolerated as they paint the entire industry with the same brush, allowing HSUS to leverage them to make its case that all producers are uncaring and that our industry needs state and/or federal regulation. When episodes of wrong behavior occur – and they will because no industry is perfect – then we must call them out as we see them with appropriate outrage, telling the public what they’ve seen is unacceptable and then swift and public action must be taken to rectify the situation. The public must understand that we share their concerns.”
Kopperud hit that nail on the head with a 20 pound sledge. So that animal welfare organizations can no longer use that weapon on animal agriculture, I’m calling on all the trade organizations to step up to the plate. Go to every one of your members with a message that animal welfare is an absolutely no-compromise issue. Each organization must then give their members just 30 days to make sure the strictest compliance rules are in place and all employees – top to bottom - are fully aware of those rules and any abuse means instant dismissal.
Aviagen should have never been allowed to be in a position where company officials had to explain their actions to the New York Times. Their promise to “pursue further investigations that could eventually lead to the employees in the video being fired” is an unacceptable response, too. The weak-kneed phrase “could eventually” should have been replaced with “WILL ABSOLUTELY.” As in the case of the Hallmark scandal, the next step should be criminal charges filed against those employees as well as their immediate superiors.
Even more importantly, the trade organizations should conduct unannounced member audits and be ready to immediately dismiss any company caught violating the strict standards. And publicize the expulsion.
The alternative, of course, is to allow PETA and HSUS to continue publicizing animal abuse and use that broad brush mentioned by Kopperud to paint the entire industry as uncaring villains, unable and unwilling to keep their own house clean. It will lead to the not-so-gradual spread of even more restrictive Prop 2 type legislation from state-to-state.
Bottom line: If you’re running a business where you allow the kinds of shortcuts that let animal abuse happen, please sell it and leave the industry now. Find another line of work. If you’re caught by PETA or HSUS, please do not plead ignorance and vow to clean it up. It will be too late.
[email protected]
Let me quote a MOST DISTURBING story from Meatingplace.com’s November 19th afternoon news: “”People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals released a video showing workers at an Aviagen Turkeys poultry-breeding operation abusing live birds.
PETA sent an individual to work undercover at several Aviagen operations in West Virginia between September and November of this year, according to the video that was posted on the organization's Web site.
The video depicts Aviagen employees breaking turkey's necks and stomping on their heads while they are still alive. PETA also alleges that a supervisor saw workers kill 450 turkeys with two-by-fours.
Aviagen representatives told the New York Times that they "condemn the abuse of any of the animals in our care and will take swift action to address these issues." They also promised to pursue further investigations that could eventually lead to the employees in the video being fired.
Just before the holiday season each year, PETA often seeks publicity that is designed to sway people against choosing turkey as a mealtime option, or that reveals unsatisfactory conditions in industrial poultry operations. The organization proposes a seven-point animal welfare plan for the production of turkeys.””
This has got to stop and the major trade organizations – from NCBA to AMI, NCC to USPEA, NMA to AAMP – have got to put some serious teeth into their animal welfare positions. Please, do not tell me that these incidents are anomalies. You know it and I know it. After cases like Hallmark, Smithfield, MowMar Farms and Portales Livestock Auction, though, I fear the American public has some serious doubts, making it absurdly easy for the general public to pass California’s Prop 2 by an almost 2 to 1 margin.
In a recent Cattlenetwork interview, Steve Kopperud agreed that “These episodes are anomalies.” He made an important point, though, when he went on to say, “but not one can be tolerated as they paint the entire industry with the same brush, allowing HSUS to leverage them to make its case that all producers are uncaring and that our industry needs state and/or federal regulation. When episodes of wrong behavior occur – and they will because no industry is perfect – then we must call them out as we see them with appropriate outrage, telling the public what they’ve seen is unacceptable and then swift and public action must be taken to rectify the situation. The public must understand that we share their concerns.”
Kopperud hit that nail on the head with a 20 pound sledge. So that animal welfare organizations can no longer use that weapon on animal agriculture, I’m calling on all the trade organizations to step up to the plate. Go to every one of your members with a message that animal welfare is an absolutely no-compromise issue. Each organization must then give their members just 30 days to make sure the strictest compliance rules are in place and all employees – top to bottom - are fully aware of those rules and any abuse means instant dismissal.
Aviagen should have never been allowed to be in a position where company officials had to explain their actions to the New York Times. Their promise to “pursue further investigations that could eventually lead to the employees in the video being fired” is an unacceptable response, too. The weak-kneed phrase “could eventually” should have been replaced with “WILL ABSOLUTELY.” As in the case of the Hallmark scandal, the next step should be criminal charges filed against those employees as well as their immediate superiors.
Even more importantly, the trade organizations should conduct unannounced member audits and be ready to immediately dismiss any company caught violating the strict standards. And publicize the expulsion.
The alternative, of course, is to allow PETA and HSUS to continue publicizing animal abuse and use that broad brush mentioned by Kopperud to paint the entire industry as uncaring villains, unable and unwilling to keep their own house clean. It will lead to the not-so-gradual spread of even more restrictive Prop 2 type legislation from state-to-state.
Bottom line: If you’re running a business where you allow the kinds of shortcuts that let animal abuse happen, please sell it and leave the industry now. Find another line of work. If you’re caught by PETA or HSUS, please do not plead ignorance and vow to clean it up. It will be too late.
[email protected]