Animal Writings

Essays and Musings on Animals and Society

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Animals Deserve Better Laws -- And Many Would Pass Today

Influencing the law-making process is a gargantuan task, but I'm heartened that animal advocates are getting into the game. For far too long, the animal exploitation industries have had a near-monopoly on lobbying members of congress about animal issues. With the exploitive corporations, it's all about money. With animal advocates, it's about caring for the victims of cruelty.

Vote. In many cases, admittedly, the choice is between bad and worse; still it's a choice. If the outcome for a race in your area is a foregone conclusion, vote for a minor party or write-in candidate, as a "message." Often, the green party is the only party that shows the slightest amount of consideration to animal welfare and the environment.

Often you can have better luck at the regional level, especially if you have an animal-friendly government official who will sponsor your cause. In a county near me, some dedicated animal activists were instrumental in making it illegal to give away iguanas, lizards, and rabbits as carnival prizes. They got plenty of resistance from breeders, but eventually kindness and common sense won out over money.

A friend and I made some progress in educating and enlightening officials in Governor Jeb Bush's administration about rodeo abuse. Although we collectively encountered some logistical problems and red tape, the experience reminded me that you will find persons sympathetic to animal suffering in all parties.

Don't be afraid to call, email, or write your elected officials. Whenever you have the chance, include pictures. The pain and horror on the faces of the animals, the photograph that catches extreme violence in the act —these are often very moving and more powerful than words; words cannot always convey the brutality we inflict on animals.

Finally, while I am grateful to all organizations that are involved in the legislative process on behalf of animals, the law is, to a large extent, a reflection of public attitudes. Laws can also shape public attitudes, to be sure, but in general, to get a law passed there has to be a threshold of public support for such a law. To reach that threshold, we need to keep educating people on the extent of institutionalized animal cruelty and on alternatives. We need to inspire people's natural sympathies for the helpless and oppressed, even though those feelings may be buried under defense mechanisms that allow them to partake in everyday cruelties and not think about the ramifications of their actions. Don't let the participants in cruelty forget about the suffering they cause. But do this — please — in a respectful way. It's human nature to avoid cognitive dissonance and make excuses for one's everyday sins. I did it, and in some ways we all do it. Everyone is redeemable. People generally want to do right, not wrong, but need a little push to break out of lifelong habits that are not only practiced by society, but promoted by some of its most powerful players.

I'm pretty sure we are close to the point—or at the point—where a wide range of modest farm reform legislation would be supported by a majority of citizens. When given the opportunity, voters tend to pass animal-friendly referendums, despite well-financed (and sometimes despicably dishonest) opposition campaigns from industry. So we're getting there, slowly but surely. Public education, promotion of compassion for animals, and judicious nudging of lawmakers at all levels will help transform this nation from one that ruthlessly oppresses of animals to one that looks out for animals. Gradually, through enlightenment, inspiration, example, occasional chiding, and the law, animals will rise from their undeserved status as property to their deserved status as sentient beings with long-overdue legal protections.

Related Links:

Lobbying: Laying Down the Law (Guide to lobbying, from PETA)

Links to Animal Law Web Sites

Posted by: Gary / 7:47 PM (1) comments

Doris Day Animal League

Whatever will be, will be? No way! Not if Doris Day can help it. She began her activism on behalf of animals decades ago, when she insisted on humane conditions for animals in her movies. She started the Doris Day Animal League (DDAL) after retiring from films, and since then has leveraged her name recognition to improve legal protections for animals. From the DDAL web site:

The Doris Day Animal League (DDAL), established in 1987, is a national lobbying organization which works on legislation relating to animal welfare issues at the local, state and federal levels. DDAL has been credited with landmark events such as the 1998 California law making counseling mandatory for people convicted of animal abuse, 1999's law banning 'Crush Videos,' the Dog and Cat Protection Act, signed into law in 2000, which bans the importation of products containing cat or dog fur, and the 2003 Exotic Pet Protection Act banning the interstate commerce of species of wild cats bound for the exotic pet trade."

DDAL works with elected officials at all levels of government, "to pass laws and enforce existing laws that reduce the suffering of animals anywhere they are mistreated."

Here are some of DDAL's successes during the last session of Congress:

Marine Turtle Conservation Act of 2004
Signed into law by President George W. Bush July 2, 2004 (P.L. 108-266). Summary: To assist in the conservation of marine turtles and the nesting habitats of marine turtles in foreign countries. Sponsors: Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD) & Sen. James Jeffords (I-VT).

Exotic Pet Protection Act
Signed into law by President George W. Bush December 19, 2003 (P.L. 108-191). Summary: Bans the interstate commerce of certain species of large wild cats bound for the exotic pet trade. Includes lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, cougars and jaguars. Sponsors: Reps. Buck McKeon (R-CA) and George Miller (R-CA), & Sens. James Jeffords (I-VT) and John Ensign (R-NV).

American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act
Attracted 228 cosponsors in the House, more than half the chamber's members, and 11 cosponsors in the Senate.

Antifreeze Safety Act
Attracted 133 cosponsors in the House, an incredible amount for a bill's first introduction.

FBI "Animal Cruelty" Language
Congress directed the Federal Bureau of Investigation to report on the incidence of "animal cruelty" crimes across the country.

EPA "Animal Alternatives" Language
Congress directed the Environmental Protection Agency to spend a portion of its budget on validation of non-animal tests. This effort will help spare animal lives in the future.

ICCVAM Language
Congress directed a funding increase for ICCVAM [Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee for the Validation of Alternative Methods] so that it may continue recommending non-animal test methods to federal agencies.

To donate: click here.

[Next: wrap-up on the law, or lack thereof, and on with the Meat Market virtual book tour.]

Posted by: Gary / 12:52 AM (0) comments

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Humane USA

Political lobbying is an often-overlooked but vital segment of animal rights and animal welfare activism. It may not be as flashy as waving banners in front of the embassy, but it gets things done that have profound ramifications for animals. The law is powerful and it needs to change from its archaic but entrenched "animals as property" bias to something that reflects the country's evolving, more enlightened ethics.

Humane USA breaks new ground by being the first political action committee (PAC) for animals. The organization has already had a significant positive impact. Here are excerpts from their web site:

"What is Humane USA? Humane USA is a political action committee (PAC) formed to be the nonpartisan political arm of the animal protection movement. We support Democrats, Republicans, and Independents based on a single criterion: their support for animal protection.

"Humane USA was formed in the fall of 1999 to fill a void in the animal protection movement. Despite the existence of hundreds, even thousands, of local, state, and national organizations, not a single national organization was constituted to help elect humane-minded candidates to office."

"Humane USA has been formed by leaders of major animal protection organizations, including The Humane Society of the United States, The Fund for Animals, Farm Sanctuary, ASPCA, Doris Day Animal League, Animal Welfare Institute, The Ark Trust, Animal Rights Foundation of Florida, and others. Its board of directors, advisory board, and advisors are top grassroots and national animal protection leaders."

"During 1999 and 2000 — after Humane USA launched its operations — the Congress passed 10 new laws to protect animals, including laws to protect great apes, to establish chimpanzee sanctuaries, to ban the sale of dog and cat fur, to validate non-animal tests, and to halt barbaric practices such as 'animal crush' videos and shark finning. It was no accident that Congress passed so many laws after Humane USA began its work. A solid investment in candidates yields tangible benefits for animals."

"How does Humane USA decide which candidates to support? For candidates holding office and seeking re-election, we examine their voting records, what legislation they have sponsored or co-sponsored, their response to unfriendly legislation, and other actions in support or opposition to issues of great importance to animals. In most instances, we have a working relationship with the office holder already."

"When choosing whether or not to donate to a candidate, does Humane USA consider other important issues as well — such as education, abortion, civil rights, defense spending, etc.? No. There are many vitally important issues that come before legislative bodies. However, Humane USA has a single focus — animal protection."

"According to a l999 poll by Hart Research, 75% of Americans wish to ban leghold traps, 80% oppose confining animals in factory farms, and 77% oppose inflicting pain and distress on animals in laboratories. While animal protection is supported by a majority of the public, efforts must be expanded to recruit and elect humane-minded politicians who will champion pro-animal legislation. Such efforts can be realized by supporting and donating to Humane USA."

Recent victories: Humane USA played a lobbying role in the horse slaughter ban that was recently passed in the U.S. Senate. In New Jersey, Humane USA-backed Joe Corzine won the governor's race. "In his term in the U.S. Senate, Corzine had supported efforts to end horse slaughter, crack down on illegal animal fighting, protect "downed" animals from being dragged to slaughter, increase funding for animal welfare enforcement, and stop canned hunts of exotic animals trapped behind fences."

To donate: "Send a check payable to Humane USA to P.O. Box 19224, Washington, D.C. 20036, or donate on-line at our secure website."

Posted by: Gary / 1:41 AM (0) comments

Saturday, November 26, 2005

Farm Animal Law: Loopholes You Could Drive a Truck Through

"This week, the HSUS [Humane Society of the United States] and other groups called on the USDA to limit truck transport of farm animals to no more than 28 hours. We've been forced to take this legal action because of the USDA's bizarre interpretation of the federal Twenty Eight Hour Law.

The law was enacted in 1873 when most animal transport was done by train. Even though trucks have been used to transport animals for decades now, the USDA's regulations still only apply to trains. Animals on cross-country journeys don't even get the simple benefit of rest, food, and water. The USDA has claimed that trucks are not 'vehicles' or 'common carriers,' even though trucks now make up 95% of animal transport."

— Mike Markarian, President, Humane Society Legislative Fund

I present this ridiculously lopsided legislation, and the preposterous claim by the USDA that they are adequately safeguarding animal welfare, because it lets people see how messed up our current system is with respect to protecting farm animals. My hope, and suspicion, is that by exposing blatant examples of regulations that perpetuate the worst forms of animal cruelties — often under an ultra-thin disguise of anti-cruelty law — readers will realize, or more fully realize, that the executive and legislative portions of the federal government that oversee animal agriculture are practically nothing more than marketing departments for the animal exploitation industry.

As Erik Marcus points out in Meat Market:

"The House Agriculture Committee is made up of CongressPeople from the country's top agriculture states. Before an agriculture-related bill make it to the House floor for a vote, the Agriculture Committee must first approve it.

Invariably, Committee members receive substantial campaign contributions from the top meat and poultry companies. In consequence, there is no place on this Committee for acts of conscience. The Committee consistently does the bidding of factory farming interests, and shoots down any bills intended to promote animal welfare.

Next: The HSUS Legislative Fund and other organizations and web sites that are attempting to inject some sanity into animal welfare laws.

Posted by: Gary / 10:09 PM (0) comments

Thanksgiving Interlude: Dessert

There are at least a thousand excellent recipes for vegan desserts. Some are so magnificent you'll rave about them for months. I guarantee with many of them you'll swear they have dairy even though they don't.

New product: If you don't feel like making a pie, you can buy a "Wholly Wholesome" Truly Natural pie. We found ours at Whole Foods. I've tried two flavors so far. Ratings: blueberry—superb; apple—fair. Bonus: it's the only product in the world that tells you to set the oven to 385 degrees.

Posted by: Gary / 6:16 PM (0) comments

Thanksgiving Interlude: Not Turkey Sandwiches

If you're self-conscious about buying Tofurky, it's a less conspicuous purchase during the "off-season," which is any time except the week leading up to Thanksgiving and the week leading up to Christmas. I had it for my second time last night. We cooked it with the recommended gravy and stuffing. It's not bad. Really. It's a kinder, gentler, less ecologically destructive version of turkey. Relatively healthy. Keep in mind that you have to thaw it for 24 hours in the refrigerator.

Some people prefer Un-Turkey. I've never had it, but when I do, I'll report back.

During most of the year, buying turkey slices is much handier than buying a whole turkey, and here the vegan versions come in very strong. Tofurky's slices (regular, hickory smoked, and peppered) aren't bad; Lightlife's may be even better. I've had each many times in sandwiches. The taste is close enough so that by the time you get all the fixin's in the sandwich, you don't notice any real difference. I feed them to meat-eaters; they're totally fine with it.

These products aren't health foods, even though they tend to have no cholesterol and are hormone- and antibiotic-free. Their chief distinction is that their production doesn't involved the infliction of prolonged, severe suffering. May as well pardon all the turkeys—they're all innocent.

Posted by: Gary / 12:31 PM (0) comments

Thursday, November 24, 2005

Thanksgiving Interlude: Tofurky and Tradition

"Celebrations can include evolution."

-- Karen Davis, More Than a Meal: The Turkey in History, Myth, Ritual, and Reality

For the longest time, I just thought Tofurky was too weird -- this glob of soy and grain looking sort of like a turkey. Plus the name is ridiculous-sounding. Several months ago, I actually tried some, at a hotel. I was really impressed. They prepared it with stuffing and gravy. It was delicious. Plus, when you slice it up, it doesn't resemble a bird or anything, it just looks like a normal main course serving.

My take on the Thanksgiving meal (and I've prepared the whole spread — the turkey, stuffing, salads, potato and vegetable dishes, and pies) has evolved from a huge main course dotted with side dishes to a dazzling buffet — a plentiful array of selections covering the serving table. My in-laws who have hosted our family's Thanksgiving dinner for the last few years (and who are not vegan) have gone this route and it's worked out well. Each dish is prominent and the guests love it. So — it's not like a one-to-one replacement of Tofurky for turkey. The tofurky is just one of many offerings.

If you're a little uneasy about venturing into Tofurky land, you can go to the store late at night, and subtly slip the Tofurky box into your cart. (In my experience, it's mostly guys who have these "what if my friends see me" hangups. So what if your friends see you. Tell them it's tasty and you're tired of contributing to animal cruelty — especially on Thanksgiving. Then talk about football.)

Of course, you don't have to buy Tofurky. There are easily a thousand hearty and filling Thanksgiving recipes on the Internet that are not made with meat or dairy. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to give at least one or two of these a try. Some of the recipe sites on the Net have ratings, and I've found that you can hardly go wrong with a recipe that has lots of four- and five-star ratings.

The real tradition at Thanksgiving is not the turkey—especially today's laboratory-created, monstrous, suffering birds—but being with family and friends and counting our blessings. One of our most precious blessings is compassion. Another is the ability to grow, to evolve.

As a friend of mine says, Bright Blessings on this Thanksgiving.

(If you're reading this after Thanksgiving, the possibilities with Tofurky expand...next post.)

Posted by: Gary / 12:03 PM (2) comments

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Thanksgiving Interlude: Free-Range Cruelty

If you think free-range turkeys are treated humanely, perish the thought. They're almost always grown in extremely crowded conditions, with very little monitoring. Like factory-farmed-turkeys, their beaks and toes are severed (without painkillers). Sick birds are given no veterinary care; they're just left to die. The artificial breeding is as violent as ever. Transport can be horrific, with birds dying along the way. At slaughter time, "free-range" birds are still hung up by their feet on shackles and knifed across the throat while fully conscious. Because slaughterhouse speeds are so hurried, imprecise cuts and subsequent agonizing deaths are inevitable. For all practical purposes, turkeys not protected by any laws that require humane living conditions, transport, or slaughter.

Also remember that both free-range and conventional turkeys develop a range of health problems from their rapid growth and unnatural proportions - the result of intensive genetic manipulation.

If your idea of free-range turkeys is a sunny field with happy turkeys running freely, foraging, exploring, resting in tall grass, and sleeping in comfortable straw-filled barns, tip your hat to the marketing departments of the various companies that grow and sell these birds. They've filled your head with pictures of sunny fields and healthy, robust birds who have lots of room to roam. That's not reality. More likely, the frozen carcass of the free-range turkey you see in the grocery store had a bitterly short and impoverished life.

For a dose of reality, please look at an actual free-range turkey farm. As a preview, here are two of the pictures:

"Free-range" turkeys, crowded, sitting on accumulated feces and filth

One of a dumpster full of dead "free-range" turkeys (many die before slaughter)

So, you can't solve the ethical problem by going free-range. That's wishful thinking. You have to go vegetarian. Fortunately, there are TONS of delicious, filling, satisfying, downright impressive vegetarian and — please, even better, way better — vegan recipes on the net and in cookbooks. Just google vegan Thanksgiving or vegan squash casserole or anything you can imagine, and be prepared to be overwhelmed and dazzled. I'm thankful for our ability to change, and for our ability to be merciful. Those are true blessings. Let's put our best features on full, proud display this holiday season.

Photos: East Bay Animal Advocates

Posted by: Gary / 5:34 PM (0) comments

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Thanksgiving Interlude: Opal

From the Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary newsletter (spring, 2005):

"Very few animals make it past the walls of an actual slaughterhouse, but one recent morning in Virginia, a very brave and lucky turkey named Opal made it out alive. She and three turkey friends were seen running away from such a facility, across a busy highway. They crossed four lanes of traffic and a median strip before coming to a halt at a chain link fence. Two kind women who just happened to be driving along the road (and who happened to be vegetarians!) jumped out of their car to try to rescue the terrified birds. With only an empty laundry basket they ran and chased for 45 minutes with no success, until the slaughterhouse workers arrived to retrieve their 'property.' The women tearfully begged and pleaded with the workers not to take the turkeys back to their deaths, but the men were unmoved. Reluctantly, they finally agreed to give up one turkey, saying they would tell their boss that she had been hit by a car. But how could they decide who should live and who should die? With this terrible dilemma, the women looked at the turkeys, who the workers were now dragging with a hook by their legs across the grass. Three of the turkeys were struggling violently, fighting for their lives. But one of the birds had given up, her eyes closed and her head hung limply, as it was dragged along on the ground. 'We'll take that one,' one of the women decided. And with that, Opal was placed gently in the laundry basket in the car, and was off to begin her new life."

After a short stay in the women's apartment, during which time she jumped on the bed each night to sleep, she moved to Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary, where she lives today.

Opal is as sweet as a puppy — the friendliest, gentlest turkey you could imagine. She walks up to strangers and gobbles "hello." She loves to be petted. Her feathers are so soft, your fingers glide over them. Sometimes she quietly coos as you caress her.

Despite her ordeal, in which she was callously treated as a "thing" by men who could not have cared less how much pain they inflicted on her, Opal seeks no revenge. She just wants to be your friend. Now that she's at Poplar Spring, she's got lots of friends.

This will be her first Thanksgiving. And from the looks of things, she is very thankful.

Thanksgiving turkeys in factory farm

Turkeys raised for food usually have a miserable life of confinement, chronic pain, and deprivation. They are genetically engineered to be so top heavy, they commonly have lifelong joint problems or other health ailments caused by their enormous size.

The turkeys' beaks and often their toes are severed, which impairs their ability to forage, clean their feathers, and walk. They have practically no room to move around or engage in natural behaviors. The facilities in which they're housed are drenched with the overpowering stench of ammonia.

Because of the demand for breast meat, modern turkeys have become too big to mate on their own. They are bred by being chased down and then forced onto their backs; while the subdued birds are kicking and screaming, men insert semen into their vaginas with a baster-like tool.

Turkeys are a lot smarter than we give them we give them credit for. Not that this should matter much, but I think people want to believe that the turkeys they eat are stupid creatures who "don't know better." They should meet Opal, or some of the other rescued turkeys on farm sanctuaries. These animals have an amazing capacity for seeking out and getting enjoyment from the simplest pleasures in life: basking in the sun, eating good food, exploring the world around them, and spending time with companions. They don't want to die.

Give turkeys—or any farm animal species— a chance and they will be our friends. Isn't that a more satisfying, more moral relationship then forcing them into servitude? Then subjecting them to extreme confinement, filth, physical and emotional suffering, and painful, often torturous death? You can never have too many friends.

This Thanksgiving, be thankful that we are blessed with such an abundance of food that does not require us to slaughter animals. Give the turkeys something to be thankful for. Have a vegetarian feast for Thanksgiving, complete with delicious food, wine, family and friends, and football. You will be pleasantly stuffed, and it will be all the more delightful knowing that you did not participate in making animals -- like Opal -- suffer.

Opal and friend

Photos: East Bay Animal Advocates (factory farm turkeys), Karen DM Smith (Opal and grandson)

Posted by: Gary / 11:10 AM (0) comments

Thanksgiving Interlude: Quiz

Q: How old are turkeys when they're slaughtered?

(To see answer, place mouse under this sentence.)
A: 14 to 18 weeks

Posted by: Gary / 12:47 AM (1) comments

Sunday, November 20, 2005

Thought for the Day

"Again and again, efforts to prevent the sale of tainted ground beef have been thwarted by meat industry lobbyists and their allies in Congress. The federal government has the legal authority to recall a defective toaster oven or stuffed animal — but still lacks the power to recall tons of contaminated, potentially lethal meat."

— Eric Schlosser, Fast Food Nation

Posted by: Gary / 6:15 PM (1) comments

Saturday, November 19, 2005

Farm Animal Law: Cruel Farce

The government agencies in charge of overseeing and developing policies for animal agriculture are overwhelmed by industry interests. As a result, we have entrenched and institutionalized systems that favor and subsidize animal exploitation.

The USDA, charged with regulating animal agriculture, is also chartered with promoting it -- creating a built-in conflict of interest. And anyone whose been in or around government can tell you that when push comes to shove, promotion wins out over regulation. Indeed, it is like there are no regulations for animal agriculture. Farms—factory or otherwise—can do they want to the animals. They can be as mean and ruthless as possible; they can make the animals suffer excruciating pain and frustration. The regulators look the other way. Or don't look at all. They rarely inspect the actual slaughter process, much less the conditions in chicken houses or caged-pig facilities (they really can't be called "farms"). And there are far too few inspectors in the first place.

But no matter. For all practical purposes, everything is legal. Tyson Foods doesn't worry about being fined by the USDA when they dunk paralyzed but fully alive and conscious chickens in scalding water. Tyson executives don't stay up nights fretting about the USDA warning then to stop pulling the wings and faces off live chickens hanging upside down on the slaughter line.

The law —if you can call it that—for farmed animals is a rigged game. It's rigged entirely in favor of the animal exploiters who are singularly obsessed with profit and market dominance. The animals—as always—suffer.

The ranks of the executive and legislative branches of government that deal with animal agriculture are dominated by men and women with ties to the industries that profit hugely from the animals' misery, from their rock-bottom status as property, from their virtually non-existent legal protections. All the advantages go to the animals' oppressors.

So the deck is stacked against the animals.

Or is it? More on that in upcoming posts.

Related Link:

The Cow Jumped Over the USDA

Excerpts:

"As spokeswoman for Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman, Ms. [Alisa] Harrison has helped guide news coverage of the mad cow crisis, issuing statements, managing press conferences and reassuring the world that American beef is safe.

For her, it’s a familiar message. Before joining the department, Ms. Harrison was director of public relations for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the beef industry’s largest trade group, where she battled government food safety efforts, criticized Oprah Winfrey for raising health questions about American hamburgers, and sent out press releases with titles like 'Mad Cow Disease Not a Problem in the U.S.'"

"Dale Moore, Ms. Veneman’s chief of staff, was previously the chief lobbyist for the cattlemen’s association. Other veterans of that group have high-ranking jobs at the department, as do former meat-packing executives and a former president of the National Pork Producers Council."

Excellent article.

Posted by: Gary / 11:12 PM (1) comments

Friday, November 18, 2005

"Meat Market" Book Tour - Part 11

Note: The following two excerpts refer to dismantlement, Erik Marcus' term for the gradual abolishment of animal agriculture, primarily through reducing demand for its products and increasing opposition to its business practices to the point where the industry is no longer viable. Mr. Markus' vision of dismantlement is bold in that he sees animal agriculture—at this point in time, at least—as illegitimate, vulnerable, and with its days numbered. The animal agriculture industry is vast and immensely powerful right now, but so were the Roman Empire and the slave trade. I'll focus more on dismantlement in future posts in this series.

"[Nineteenth century]Abolitionists could reasonably expect to win help from the federal government. People seeking to overcome animal agriculture, by contrast, should have no similar hopes. Animal agriculture is one of the most politically powerful business interests in America, and there's no possibility that lawmakers will rush to outlaw this industry. In consequence, we can't expect the government to take a leadership role in stamping out animal agriculture. So dismantlement relies, not on government, but on individuals and organizations to take action against animal agriculture"

"Since we can't expect the government to take the lead in abolishing animal agriculture, we need to construct a movement that inspires people to join in the struggle to end farmed animal exploitation. The key to winning over the public is to have an honest, accurate message that primarily emphasizes the ethical problems with animal agriculture."

— Meat Market, by Erik Marcus, page 81; 85

The law for farmed animals is a sick joke. At the Pilgrim's Pride poultry processing plant, where extensive video footage showed workers throwing live chickens against the wall, tearing them in half, ripping their beaks off, and intentionally crushing them with their boots, all the cruelties were done with impunity.

At Sun Prairie pork producers, workers put lit cigarettes on pigs' backs, suffocate them in headlocks, and bash their heads with hammers. Barns are over capacity by 1000 animals, pigs die of thirst when their legs get stuck in floor slats, pigs cannot reach water because of the overcrowdedness, pigs are periodically forced to swim in shoulder-high waste water filled with excrement, sick pigs are not given water and are left to suffer. A USDA Animal Welfare Act inspector said of Sun Prairie, "I believe it to be a well run and managed operation and the manager and employees need to be commended for their efforts."

Farms are exempt from practically all animal cruelty laws. Nearly every type of animal abuse you can imagine, and many you cannot imagine, take place on a regular basis on factory farms, with virtually no fear of penalty. Physical and psychological torture, violent assault, mutilation, disfiguration, and sadistic acts are legal, common, often institutionalized, and ignored or accepted by authorities. Real punishment for farmed animal cruelty is rarer than meteorite explosions. So don't count on the law to make any meaningful reforms.

In the next post, more on the impotence and the utter corruption of farm animal law—and what some folks are doing about it.

Here are some other incidents witnessed at Pilgrims Pride:

—On November 17, 2003, [an employee] twisted the neck of a live chicken until the head popped off; he then used what remained of the bloodied body of the chicken to write graffiti on the wall.

—On November 17, 2003, [an employee] intentionally squeezed two live chickens so hard that feces squirted out of them. [He] directed the feces into the eyes of seven other live chickens, exclaiming, "They shit all over us every day."

—On December 22, 2003, [an employee] placed a live chicken on the floor and jumped on the bird; the bird exploded under his weight, and her intestines were visible.

(full report here)

Judgments of livestock experts after viewing the evidence on tape:

University of Guelph Professor of Applied Ethology Dr. Ian J.H. Duncan writes, "This tape depicts scenes of the worst cruelty I have ever witnessed against chickens...The sum total of the pain and suffering inflicted on the chickens in the scenes is enormous and it is extremely hard to accept that this is occurring in the United States of America." Dr. Temple Grandin, associate professor at Colorado State University and industry consultant for slaughter and handling issues, states, "The behavior of the plant employees was atrocious...This is the WORST employee behavior I have ever seen in a poultry plant. Repeated kicking, stomping on and throwing of chickens is cruel animal abuse. Scientific research has clearly shown that chickens feel pain. Using chickens as footballs is horrible."

"[KFC] never had any meetings. They never asked any advice, and then they touted to the press that they had this animal-welfare advisory committee. I felt like I was being used."

—Dr. Adele Douglass, former animal welfare advisor to KFC, Chicago Tribune

Full headlock quote at Sun Prairie:

"And this one guy—he run and jumped on that pig there and give him the headlock, he'll fall down, and he'll hold that pig in a headlock. And that pig was kicking and kicking. And after it stopped kicking, he'll let it go...You'd give him five or 10 minutes and he'd snap out of it. He'd get up and he'd be flopping all over the place. He can't hold his balance. And they thought it was funnier than heck."

Posted by: Gary / 2:13 AM (0) comments

Thursday, November 17, 2005

We Don't Need to Torture Circus Elephants to Cure Disease

Extreme opponents of animal rights often position themselves as guardians of human dignity and human life, citing examples of mouse experiments curing cancer (dubious and more likely impeding cures), or saving a child before a dog in a fire (a one-in-a-million shot).

Yet nearly all animal rights campaigns are about improving animal welfare and ending hideous practices that save no lives, and are done only to increase profit, or out of meanness or habit:

Foxes in fur farms crammed in cages that are so uncomfortable and inhibiting that the imprisoned animals go crazy, often resorting to self-mutilation to fend off the madness of constant confinement;

Downed dairy cows, lame and weak from the rigors of constant pregnancy and artificially boosted milk production, left to suffer without painkillers, food, or water, until they die;

Layer hens, their beaks seared off so they can't clean their feathers, forced to live in tiny cages and wire grating, unable to flap their wings, contending with feces and urine that drip from the cages above them, often having to walk on and sleep next to dead and dying cagemates;

Hideously cruel and unnecessary "learned helplessness" experiments that see how much pain and suffering an animal will take before giving up;

Zoo elephants developing painful, life-threatening foot disease from standing on hard concrete for months on end;

Chimpanzees kidnapped from their mothers and subjected to dominance training so they can "entertain" us;

And a thousand more.

The most vocal animal rights opponents unabashedly support and often promote all these activities. Their self-appraisal as a champion of saving human lives is irrelevant and a distraction. More likely they are angry with animal rights groups because these groups remind them of the extent of the suffering they cause, and just how unnecessary it all is. Rather than admit their complicity in cruelty and try to divest themselves of it, participants and beneficiaries of cruelty find it easier to go after the whistleblowers, or to justify their actions in terms of perfectly-tailored hypothetical or highly unusual scenarios. Their arguments frequently are convoluted, sometimes embarrassingly desperate. That's because there just is no way to defend preventable—often severe—cruelty. If they instead stopped contributing to it, their inner conflicts about taking part in it would go away, and so would their reasons for being so angry with animal rights groups.

Posted by: Gary / 11:36 PM (0) comments

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Answers to "But Animals are Killed During the Harvesting of Vegetables"

Far more animals are killed when the plants that are harvested are fed to farm animals who are then killed for human consumption.

Murder is worse than manslaughter. Intentional harm is worse than unavoidable harm. Swerving to hit the dog is worse than accidentally hitting the dog. When we create an animal solely for the purpose of killing him because we like the taste of his flesh, we devalue the animal's status to that of property; we strip him of intrinsic worth. We reinforce a master-to-slave, dominator-to-victim mentality. That is not the case when animals are killed as an unintentional by-product of vegetable production.

The rodent killed on the vegetable farm did not have a horrid life of confinement, filth, and denial of natural behaviors. The rodent was not bred to be so obese that he suffered chronic joint pain and was at risk of heart failure while still growing.

To reduce your negative impact on animals and cultivate a more respectful attitude toward them, a) stop intentionally killing them, by adopting a vegan diet, b) favor organic and locally-grown foods, c) help brainstorm, encourage, and support more humane ways of farming, d) minimize your environmental footprint generally. Vegan bonus: since it takes less acreage to support vegans than to support meat-eaters, excess farmland can revert to thriving, undisturbed ecosystems.

Posted by: Gary / 10:54 PM (2) comments

Thoughts for the Day

We impregnate cows, then steal their babies from them, so we can drink all their milk.

"Our bodies have no natural need for cows' milk. We weren't designed with some odd flaw requiring us to drink the milk of other animals."

— Is Milk a Natural?

"The hype about milk is basically an effective marketing campaign by the American Dairy industry."

— Scientific American, January 2003

Sunday, November 13, 2005

Veal is a By-Product of Dairy

I repeat: veal comes from dairy.

Veal calves are the result of the dairy industry impregnating cows each year, to sell their milk. Many of the male calves go to the ultra-cruel veal pen. It's a way for the dairy industry to make a profit from the glut of dairy cow offspring.

If you're a meat-eater who "draws the line" at veal, you can reduce this particular misery by reducing your consumption of dairy products.

Related Links:

Calcium, Bones, ADA, and the Dairy Industry

Soy Delicious Vanilla & Almonds Bar. Just had this — delicious.

Photos courtesy of Farm Sanctuary:

(left) Cows in dry-lot dairies never get to graze.
(right) Chained veal calves lying in their own feces. Notice how little room they each have.

Posted by: Gary / 8:26 PM (0) comments

Saturday, November 12, 2005

"Meat Market" Book Tour - Part 10

"Animal agriculture is an enormous industry, one that possesses nearly limitless resources to defend itself. Yet for all its strength, the industry is supremely vulnerable. In order for meat, milk, and egg prices to stay as low as they are, the industry must rely on a number of cruel farming practices. To the extent that activists can expose this cruelty, public opinion will increasingly turn against animal agriculture."

— Meat Market, by Erik Marcus, page 85

Posted by: Gary / 1:29 AM (0) comments

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Killing Innocence

"Is it really that bad?" Yes. Here are excerpts from two people who decided to try their hand at "chicken catching" on a factory farm operation:

"I, Chad Haberstock, took a job as a "chicken catcher" for Brian's Poultry in southern Ontario, Canada on May 12, 2003. It was a horrible experience for my girlfriend and me, but it was even worse for the chickens."

"On the other farms, we were required to carry eight chickens at a time-double the number that we carried in the kosher barn. I tried to handle these chickens with care, but I could still feel their bones crushing under their own weight as I held them. These were not very big chickens, and we held four-each by one leg-in each hand. I was trying to be gentle because my heart went out to these poor animals, but I could still feel the chickens' legs breaking in my hands. Carrying four chickens in each hand puts a lot of pressure on certain chickens, causing their legs to pop out of joint or their bodies to crush under the weight of the other chickens. The swinging motion that was used to lift the chickens up to the loaders caused the most damage because the pressure of the swing and the weight of the other chickens pushing down on the leg of the chicken on the end caused the leg to shatter or pop. The loaders applied even more pressure when they grabbed the chickens out of my hands, causing even greater damage and breakage. The loaders grabbed the chickens very forcefully, shoving them into the crates. A few times, my fingers were grabbed with the chickens' legs, and it was surprising to feel how much pressure the loaders applied.

Around the loading doors, there were a lot of injured chickens, lingering in pain on the ground. These chickens had either been dropped by the loaders or were left behind in the catching and loading frenzy. Many of these chickens couldn't walk properly and, therefore, could not move themselves out from under our feet, so they were injured and crushed. In all the barns, including the kosher barn, I witnessed chickens who wandered out into the open being kicked and stepped on by workers, then left to die with damaged legs and broken wings. I also heard numerous callous comments from the workers, such as: 'They're not really animals,' 'I hate chickens,' 'I just want to kill them,' 'Just don't think about them,' 'Just don't worry about them,' and 'Just kick them out of the way.'"

"On the evening of Monday, May 12, 2003, my boyfriend, Chad Haberstock, and I accepted positions working as "chicken catchers" for Brian's Poultry Services (BriansPoultry.com), based in Mildmay, Ontario in Canada. We were hired almost immediately over the phone with no references and no questions asked. We had no idea what we were in for."

"When we arrived at the first farm, I learned that the chickens are kept in total darkness. The lights in the barn were turned up when we entered so that we could see to put down the gates that are used to catch the chickens. When that had been done, the lights were very slowly turned down again. Walking through thousands of chickens as the lights dimmed and the sound of electricity faded away made me think of the fear and confusion of gas chambers. It was like a bad dream."

"We were split into two teams, and as we approached the next barns, one of the workers started yelling, 'I get the runts! I get the runts!' When I asked him what he meant, he said that, in order to get a higher weight in the truck, they wanted to load only the big chickens and kill the smaller ones. He explained how he smashed the skulls of the 'runts' until they were dead."

"The next barn was absolute hell. You wouldn't believe what it was like unless you were there. We had to wake 38,000 sleeping baby chickens and terrify and break them. In this barn, there were none of the restrictions of the first barn. We were told to pick up eight chickens at a time and to hold each one by one leg-four chickens in each hand. Chad told me that he could feel the chickens' legs snap and pop when he handed them up to the loader on the truck. The chickens tried to huddle in groups, but occasionally, one would stray into the middle of the floor and get stepped on and kicked around. It broke my heart. I only worked a little while in this barn before I had to sit down because of the combination of exhaustion and emotional strain. I made eye contact with some of the young chickens, who were so little that they weren't even clucking yet, just cheeping. It just killed me. They started huddling under me for safety when I knelt down. Some people think that chickens don't have feelings, but it was perfectly clear how scared these animals were. It was absolute hell-there are no better words to describe that graphic scene."

The complete story is here, on Virgil Butler's blog. He used to do this same job.

This is reality. This is where most of the chicken you eat comes from.

You can stop the suffering by going vegan. Vegan is no longer fringe. It's not girlie. It's not weird. It's not extreme. Modern chicken-growing is weird and extreme. Neither the animals nor their environment resemble anything close to nature. It's more like a horror movie. The way they're treated is dastardly, wickedly cruel. It brings shame to our species. Some of the most smallest, most gentle, most helpless animals in the world are brutalized.

Please help them. Don't support cruelty. Alternatives to chicken abound. I haven't eaten chicken in years. And I'm not into self-punishment or austerity. I love to eat.

There are substantial side bonuses to getting chickens off your plate. Eating almost anything besides chicken, including the 50 or so veggie chicken products that taste almost like chicken, or the DELICIOUS cooked dishes that use seitan or Worthington's chicken substitute, is healthier and has a much lower ecological impact. So plants and animals besides chickens benefit. Your low-level guilt — gone. A weight on your heart is removed. You never noticed it before. Until it's gone. You're more at peace.

From Discovery News: "Chickens do not just live in the present, but can anticipate the future and demonstrate self-control, something previously attributed only to humans and other primates, according to a recent study.

The finding suggests that domestic fowl, Gallus gallus domesticus, are intelligent creatures that might worry."

"Prior studies have found that neuron organization in chicken brains is highly structured and suggests that, like humans, chickens evolved an impressive level of intelligence to help improve their survival.

Unlike humans, the chicken brain has a remarkable capacity to repair itself fully after trauma, which has puzzled neuroscientists for years."

"Both [neuroscience professor] Freire and [biophysics researcher] Abeyesinghe hope the findings will lead to more humane treatment of birds and animals raised for slaughter."

Not breeding them just to be killed as soon as they were big enough (at about seven weeks) would be more humane.

(I happened to be talking to someone today, a non-vegetarian, about a rooster he had as a pet for three years. He was going on about how the rooster liked to be held and petted, how he would come when called, how he recognized people, how roosters are smarter than people give them credit for. This person had no idea I was a vegetarian.)

Posted by: Gary / 9:40 PM (3) comments

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Where Your Food Comes From

The following are observations from a recent Compassion Over Killing (COK) investigation of farm animal transport (emphasis mine):

July 25, 2005, 3:30 pm — Pennsylvania: At the rear entrance of the auction house, several drivers were unloading animals—mostly sheep, calves, dairy cows, and pigs. Several dairy cows appeared to have enlarged udders from possible mastitis while at least one was limping on a rear leg as she was unloaded off the truck. Inside another truck, I saw an injured cow with cuts and scrapes on her back; she was breathing heavily and was unable to get up. She was left on the truck for nearly two hours—also on the truck was a dead cow, directly in front of her the entire time.

While I watched this injured cow on the truck, another trailer pulled up with additional dairy cows—two of whom were also unable to get up. I witnessed the driver and several workers wrap a chain around the back leg of each cow and, one at a time using a "bobcat" tractor, drag these downed cows, who were still very much alive and fully conscious, off the truck, onto the pavement. After about an hour, these two injured cows were still sitting in the same spots on the pavement where they had been dragged and several workers tried to force one of them to stand up. As they were pushing her, another worker approached and poked her with an electric prod, which caused her to scream. She still could not get up.

About ten minutes after their failed attempts to force this cow to stand up, a man with a 22-caliber rifle fired a single bullet into the heads of each of the three downed cows (the two cows on the pavement and the one cow in the truck mentioned above). The man with the gun watched as one of the cows on the pavement continued moving her head, body and tail for several minutes after she was shot. He appeared to contemplate shooting her again but refrained.

I spoke with one of the men who said that their driver usually has a better rate but that it was a really hot day and one of the cows may have been injured due to an accident on the road that stranded the truck for about an hour. While we were talking, another trailer pulled up—a dead goat was dragged off the truck and left beside a dumpster...

July 30, 2005, 7:25 pm — Elm Creek, Nebraska: I spent most of the day at the Bosselman Travel Center watching livestock trucks—some full, some empty—come and go, and I spoke with a few drivers about their experiences. One driver I talked with was hauling a truck filled with 283 pigs. He explained that he picked these pigs up about 50 [miles] east of Kansas City, Missouri, around 11:00 a.m. this morning and that he had not given the animals any water prior to loading. In addition the driver asserted that the animals would not be fed or rested throughout their journey—which would last at least 35 hours and end in Modesto, California—nor would they have access to water aside from what was sprayed on them for cooling purposes. The temperature today in this area of Nebraska reached 95^o F.

The driver told me that pigs are transported from the same farm via this route to California once a week. When I asked him if any pigs die in transit, he pointed out one pig who had already died and made reference to another dead pig in a different part of the truck. He said these dead pigs would be left in the truck with live pigs for the rest of the journey. I later noticed one of the pigs nudging the face of a dead pig.

Of the surviving pigs, many appeared to have several injuries including scratches, bruises, abrasions, and lacerations on their bodies, legs, and ears, some of which were bleeding. I observed one pig with what appeared to be a swollen area on his underbelly and another whose skin on his hindquarters appeared abnormally red.

Although the truck was so tightly packed with animals that several pigs were forced to lean against and sit on each other, including one of the dead pigs, the driver stated that he could have fit many more than 283 pigs into this truck. Near the truck the smell of ammonia was strong, and the temperature inside the truck felt noticeably higher than outside. Many pigs were panting or open-mouthed breathing; some were frothing at the mouth, and one was coughing incessantly. Some of the pigs seemed to be fighting as one was forced to walk on top of the others to move about the trailer. I also saw pigs chewing on each others' ears. The driver explained that, at times, pigs fight each other while on the truck.

As we talked, the driver sprayed the pigs with water for approximately 45 minutes. He explained that this was intended to cool them down. As he sprayed the animals, he repeatedly and forcibly yanked the nozzle from the mouths of pigs trying to drink from the hose. After being sprayed, some pigs appeared to lick the water off the skin of other pigs while others attempted to catch water dripping from the deck above.

After spraying the pigs, the driver went inside the truck stop to shower, and later, at 11:25 p.m., drove the truck at least 40 miles north to pick up his wife. After about two hours, the driver returned to the truck stop. At 1:45 a.m., he departed the truck stop again, this time heading to Modesto, California. At this point, these animals had already been confined for over 14 hours, yet had only traveled 400 miles of the more than 1,800-mile journey from Kansas City to Modesto. During this approximate six-hour layover at the Bosselman truck stop, the driver did not release the animals off the truck to rest, nor did he provide them with food or water to drink. Furthermore, the driver acknowledged that for the rest of the journey to California, these pigs would not be offered any food, water for drinking, or rest off the truck.

The full story is here. As COK says at the beginning of the article, "While the abuses endured by animals on factory farms and inside slaughterhouses are gradually gaining the public's attention, the treatment of millions of animals during transport—between farms, auctions, stockyards, and slaughterhouses—remains relatively concealed." After reading this, you may have a fuller appreciation that every factory-farmed animal's life is miserable. Also, note that animals from smaller farms typically endure the same pain and suffering as factory farm animals during transport.

If you're reading this and you eat dairy or pig-derived products, I assume you're not a mean person. You're a good person and want to do the right thing. These pigs and cows feel pain and terror just like your dog and cat. When you buy the products of their suffering, you encourage the companies that inflict it and you perpetuate the cruelty. Buy the fake ham, bacon, and sausage that's in most grocery stores now. (Sometimes it's adjacent to the animal meat, sometimes it's in a separate "natural foods" section.) Look in Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Trader Joe's, and, increasingly, mainstream supermarkets like Albertson's and Safeway for a variety of dairy alternatives. Substitute almost any brand of veggie ground beef in spaghetti sauce and I doubt you'll be able to tell the difference. Not too keen on veggie dogs? Slit them and marinate them in barbecue sauce for 20 minutes. Add meatless meatballs and diced tomatoes to macaroni and "Chreese" (Google it), and you have a tasty, filling meal that costs practically nothing. Try GardenBurger Riblets and LightLife "Smart BBQ"—excellent meat alternatives that don't depend on the horrors of severe confinement, amputations without painkillers, deadly transport, and end-of-life torture. They taste great, and you don't have to lie to yourself or force yourself to not think about how the food was made. Just switch products, and your conscience is clear. Problem solved. You'll spare smart, curious, emotional, social animals from horrible suffering, in one easy step.

Then tell your friends, please.

(Photo: Compassion Over Killing)

Posted by: Gary / 10:09 PM (0) comments

Why I Describe Factory Farm Horrors

If people's lifestyle choices produce tragic and needless suffering, they should know about that.

If the consequences of people's actions are so deplorable that they cannot stand to hear about them, or are forced to deny them, they should stop doing those actions. If I know of kinder alternatives that give people a way out, I am compelled to advertise and advocate them.

Pig covered in excrement from wastewater backup.

Pigs crowded so tightly, some can't reach water and die from thirst.

Related links:

Humane pizza

Gimme Lean® sausage

Vegan Lunch Box

Vegan split pea soup

Posted by: Gary / 12:14 AM (0) comments

Sunday, November 06, 2005

Are You a Nice Person?

Are you a nice person? Do you smile at strangers in the hall at work? Are you polite to salesclerks? Perhaps for lunch you had chicken. The chicken was killed at seven weeks old. Already by that time, he was at risk for a heart attack, because his upper body was bred to be so obese that his heart could not keep pace. Perhaps your heart will compel you to try the veggie chicken next time, which is not made with those cruelties.

Are you a nice person? Would you return a wallet to its owner if you found it? Maybe for a snack you had some yogurt. The dairy industry is built around stealing calves from their mothers, when they're two days old. What could be meaner than stealing an infant from his mother? The mothers bellow in despair, and look around for their missing calves for days or weeks. The calves, once taken from their mothers, do not get to drink their mothers' milk. That's reserved for humans, so they can eat yogurt and put cheese on their hamburgers (which may be the ground-up remains of the mothers, who are killed around five years old). The male calves are often shut in veal pens, where they are chained, denied all exercise, and fed an iron-deficient formula that makes them crave iron and makes their flesh become pale and soft, so restaurants can advertise their great veal chops. How could a nice person to this to such gentle animals? Try soymilk, or give it another chance if you tried it five years ago and didn't like it. Each brand has a unique flavor; some people prefer vanilla soymilk. Tofutti cream cheese tastes just like cream cheese; I guarantee you'll like it on a bagel.

Are you a nice person? Do you give clothes to Goodwill and put money in the Salvation Army box? Did you have any products with eggs this week? All those hens that lay all those eggs are bred in factories. Half the chicks are female; they become layers. The other half are male; they're killed on their first day of life. Common methods of killing include gassing, suffocation, being crushed, being chopped up in a woodchipper, or simply dying from exposure. The tiny chicks are peeping before they are killed. The laying hens are usually confined to areas so small that they go through life without ever being able to raise their wings. When their egg production drops, after one or two years, they're trucked to the slaughterhouse and killed to be made into soup. The number of laws that protect birds in the slaughterhouse is the same as it was in 1906, when Upton Sinclair wrote The Jungle—none. Virtually any cruelty is allowed, including ripping the heads or wings off live chickens. The chickens, while hanging upside down by their feet, before their throats are slit, are dunked into electrically-charged water that paralyzes their muscles but does not render them insensible to pain. Is this nice? There are hundreds of eggless products that have recently come on the market. Bananas are a great replacement for eggs in pancakes. Amy's Tofu Scramble, for a frozen instant breakfast—made from tofu, at that—is pretty darn good. Even I was skeptical; now I eat it regularly.

Are you a nice person? You walk your dog every day. You hug him, feed him good food, and take him to the vet. You really love your dog. Are you going to have ham for Christmas? What about a BLT for lunch? Or sausage for breakfast? Here are excerpts from a recent investigation of a typical factory-style pig farm, the source of almost all pork products:

"Disabled pigs that are deemed 'unsalvageable' are generally dragged into alleyways where they receive no veterinary care for their illnesses or injuries and no analgesics for pain. Once deposited in alleyways, pigs are provided no food or water, but rather are left to languish for days—in some cases weeks—before they succumb to their illnesses, injuries, or starvation and dehydration."

"'In some of the pens, the max capacity per building is 2000 ideally, but in a lot of these barns we have 2300, 2500, to 2700. In barns with smaller pigs, we get up to 3000—it tends to be extremely crowded. In the larger pens with the 250-pound pigs, in hot summer days it gets up to 120 degrees inside one of these barns. These pigs are all laying down... Some of the pigs would try to get up to get to the water, but it was so crowded in there that they couldn't get to the water. For me to try to get in the pen and move the pigs around and get one pig to the water, it was too much. There were a lot of pigs I pulled out just from dying from the heat.'" [quote from employee]

"The second type of back up occurs when drainage pipes, located at the end of the building, become clogged with waste and animal parts. Again, flush water, manure, urine and other contaminants have no place to flow but up through the slatted floors and into the pens with the pigs. These overflows are much more severe than the spills caused by 'shit clogs.' Workers report instances in which pigs, standing in their pens, have actually drowned as these cesspools have overcome them. While drownings are not common, the overflows resulting from clogged drains are far from unusual. In nursery barns housing weanlings, sewage may rise to the animals' abdomens, and occasionally up to their necks. In barns housing finishing pigs, animals may be sloshing around in sewage up to their bellies. Again, as pigs remain in these contaminated cesspools, they often become chilled, with subsequent disease outbreaks. These spills engulf feed trays and water nipples. With no access to food and water, sometimes for days, most pigs resort to consuming manure and urine from cesspools."

Veggie sausage and bacon tastes great. So do veggie versions of bologna, ham, and other lunchmeats. You can find these products easily in most grocery stores. Smart BBQ tastes like barbecue without the bitter aftertaste of cruelty. If you're not convinced to start transitioning away from pig-derived products, please look at these pictures taken during the investigation.

Holding the elevator door open for someone and saying thank-you to the cashier are all well and good. But these niceties are miniscule compared to the severe misery — excruciating physical pain, intense confinement, unending deprivation, sheer fright — to which you contribute when you buy meat and dairy products. The vast majority of farm animals live in conditions that are so horrid, if we had to endure them for even a few days many of us would beg for death. Please help end these animals' suffering. Go vegetarian. That is a nice thing to do.

Related Resources:

Compassion Over Killing's Vegetarian Starter Guide. It is divided into sections on health, animal welfare, and recipes.

This vegan starter guide page from Vegan Outreach has a number of "how" and "why" articles for people just considervegetarianismansm, as well as for established vegans. Very informative and easy-to-read. Has many suggestions for off-the-shelf and home-cooked food.

Here's another nice thing you can do.

Posted by: Gary / 10:36 AM (4) comments

Friday, November 04, 2005

"Meat Market" Book Tour - Part 9

"By all rights, factory farm representatives should constantly be forced onto the defensive during debates. At every turn, activists should demand agriculture interests to account for the suffering that occurs on factory farms. Unfortunately, it's impossible to hold the spotlight on this cruelty when animal rights philosophy is involved in the argument. Representatives of animal agriculture are smart enough to continually drive the discussion away from the ten billion farmed animals who die each year, and toward the contradictions that arise from the public's simplistic understanding of animal rights.

Animal rights philosophy has much to say about the ethical questions that arise when the interests of humans and animals come into conflict. Unfortunately, animal rights has proven a poor debating tool where farmed animals are concerned. People working against animal agriculture should read deeply in the animal rights literature, but they must also be aware that the arguments under consideration are often too complex to be productively put before the public. The argument against factory farming needs to be simple, easily understood, and primarily focused on the miseries suffered by farm animals. Farmed animal protectionists would therefore do well to avoid debating philosophy in public. Instead, the public should be given a far simpler argument&151;that animal agriculture is inherently cruel, is uniquely resistant to reform, and therefore ought to be eliminated.

When it comes to making the case against animal agriculture, animal rights is generally a counterproductive line of argument. The philosophy is too complex to quickly explain, and its comprehensiveness allows the exploiters of farmed animals to hijack and win vital debates that the industry would otherwise lose."

— Meat Market, by Erik Marcus, pages 75-76

Here are the tactics used by the factory farm industry, and every other industry that relies on exploiting animals, to deflect attention away from the morality of their business practices:

Quickly switch the focus from the horrors and utter meanness of factory farms to the most complicated, nuanced, borderline, defensible, and theoretical cases involving use of animals.

Attack the credibility of people who expose atrocities in factory farms, even if what they're saying is entirely true, verifiable, admitted, and witnessed thousands of times. Use a Karl Rove-like strategy to defame and discredit animal advocates, animal rescuers, and other conscientious objectors to mass brutality against animals.

Heavily promote the products of suffering as fun, normal, traditional, healthy, essential, and/or patriotic. Do whatever possible—including outright lying—to make people ignore the intentional suffering that goes into the products. Spend enormous sums of money on marketing and lobbying.

These are the strategies that all animal exploitation organizations have implemented — from factory farm conglomerates to the fur trade to Ringling Brothers to trophy hunting groups. So far this approach has worked, but it is starting to crumble round the edges. There is no justification for cruelty.

Activists (and potential activists):

To counter the powerful and well-monied animal exploitation interests, insist on putting the focus squarely on the suffering of the animals. It is so severe, and the treatment of the animals is so heartless, that people who learn about it, especially if they see pictures or videos of the animals, quickly and almost universally feel pangs of sympathy. If they partake in the products of that suffering, for example, by eating meat and dairy, they will also likely feel the discomfort of conflict—between their morals and their lifestyle choices.

These stirrings are the gateway to opting out of cruelty and switching to a more humane way of life. Activists can—and should —guide the reluctant, the stubborn, the confused, and the fearful toward more compassionate alternatives. Most people want to do the right thing. But inertia, pleasurable habits, comfort zones, fitting in, and avoiding cognitive dissonance are all formidable forces that have to be overcome. Be patient and understanding, but be consistent and inspiring. Activists may be the deciding factor in how fast society converts toward compassionate food, clothing, and entertainment choices. As Erik Marcus writes in the upcoming installments of the Meat Market virtual tour, keep those images of the animals' misery in the minds of the public. They are potent; they connect at a deep level; they reach into our hearts, and there's no way to truly ignore them. The only way to make the horror disappear is to quit doing the horrible things. Then things get much better.

Posted by: Gary / 8:39 AM (0) comments

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

"I'm Not Stopping" Part 3: Chesterfield County Cover-Ups, Intimidation, and Retaliation

The story thus far:

Part 1: Richmond

Part 2: Chesterfield County

In this post, Eileen McAfee chronicles the Chesterfield County Government's campaign of deception and character smearing to evade accountability for multiple, documented animal cruelties at the Chesterfield County Pound. Please note the government's interference with a free press. Note how a TV reporter investigating problems at the Pound was apparently pressured to twist her story considerably, to avoid focusing on animal welfare violations at the facility, and to make the government officials who run the place look good. This is a gross abuse of power and an affront to democracy.

By Eileen McAfee

A History of Deceit and Intimidation

Over the past ten years, numerous individuals have attempted to remedy long-standing problems at the Chesterfield County Pound. As in my case, they were met with intimidation:

The Chief of Police called a critic at her place of employment.

When another critic met with police, they warned her, "We know where you work".

An individual was denied the right to speak at the "public comment" portion of the Board of Supervisors meeting because her topic was the use of the gas chamber at the pound.

Several rescuers critical of conditions at the pound were banned from the facility.

The Pound terminated a volunteer "Dog Walking Program."

A critic's supervisor was called by county officials and ordered to meet with them. They officials falsely and maliciously told the supervisor that his employee had been "rude" and raised her voice to staff while visiting the pound.

A pound employee was terminated for having been suspected of writing an anonymous letter to officials.

Three eyewitnesses were so fearful of retaliation, they asked me not to use their names. (I honored their request. However, this meant that they could not be interviewed by state investigators and that their allegations could not be used as evidence.)

Photography in the pound was prohibited.

The County's own auditors inspected the pound. They concluded animals were well cared-for and that euthanasia was performed according to law. They noted on page 16 of the audit that: "Staff records unsterilized animals as 'sterilized' in order to perform monthly counts/statistics" and that "some conditions resulted in noncompliance with state and/or county code..." Nonetheless, they presented Pound management with numerous "commendation awards".

My Year of Fighting the Chesterfield County Politburo

For an entire year (August 2004 to August 2005), as I attempted to resolve the problems at the pound, Chesterfield Police Officials and Administrators denigrated and defamed me in the media, in person, in a public Board of Supervisors meeting, in telephone and written correspondence to other officials, and to private citizens who contacted them about the problems at the pound—all in a transparent effort to cover up violations.

Chronicle of Events: September 2004—August 2005

A Chesterfield Observer article, "Controversy swirls around shelter," reports "'Animal mistreatment claims are unfounded' said [Major Thierry] Dupuis." (Major Dupuis heads up the Chesterfield Police Department's "Office of Professional Standards.")

A request for State Police intervention was denied by Major Dupuis: "Some small agencies employ the services of the state police because they do not have the same resources at their disposal as we do. There is no need for the services of the state police."

A request that all known witnesses be interviewed was denied by Sgt. Philip Polk of the Office of Professional Standards. He complained, "You want us to go on a fishing expedition and we're not going to do that...Don't tell me how to do my job!" (The conversation was tape recorded by the Police Department.)

Meeting with Major Dupuis and the Pound Manager. They were both ridiculing and rude. They steadfastly refused to interview key eyewitness Tracey Crittenden, claiming "She has no credibility. We don't believe anything she says!" Dupuis subsequently wrote a memo to Police Chief Col. Carl Baker falsely stating that I "threatened" him as I left our meeting: "McAfee stated 'You'll be sorry for this.'" (What I said was: "You're making a mistake believing anything (the Pound Manager) tells you."

Major Dupuis telephoned a City of Richmond deputy commonwealth attorney who is a colleague of mine on a committee and accused me of having "no credibility."

The Pound Manager also called my colleague and stated that I had "no credibility," and that she was thinking of getting an attorney."

Correspondence from Captain Daniel Kelly, Office of "Professional Standards", to me stated that cats were gassed in an inhumane manner. Despite this admission, he wrote, "no further action will be taken because the practice has stopped." Despite this written admission, police officials continued to publicly deny any wrongdoing for eight more months.

In the Chesterfield County Observer, publisher Greg Pearson wrote: "Because of the police department's dissatisfaction with the (previous) shelter story, the newspaper learned that calling the paper's advertisers was considered. Asked if anyone called the advertisers of the Chesterfield Observer, Dupuis said, 'Whether it was discussed or not, it could have been...but I'm not going to discuss that.'"

Correspondence from me to Captain Kelly that eight eyewitnesses wanted to give signed, sworn statements to police. No response from Captain Kelly.

Above correspondence again sent to Captain Kelly. No response.

Four eyewitnesses signed criminal complaints at the Magistrate's Office. The Magistrate referred us to the Commonwealth Attorney's Office.

Witnesses met with Assistant Commonwealth Attorney Robert Fierro. Fierro did not take any signed, sworn statements. He referred the complaints to Commonwealth Attorney William "Billy" Davenport. In subsequent telephone conversations with Fierro, he advised me:
- An outside agency needed to present the case to Commonwealth Attorney Davenport. This completely condradicts my previous experienced with this office. One year earlier, I had presented them with information on animal cruelty by a private citizen. They accepted my information, investigated, prosecuted the citizen and the defendant received jail time.)
- Davenport needed "more evidence than eyewitness' signed, sworn statements."
- Davenport stated "The most compelling document (he) had seen not to prosecute was the Internal Audit of the pound." (County Auditors, with no training in animal care nor pound inspection, toured the pound and concluded the animals were "well cared for and euthanasia was humane." Auditors presented management with a "commendation".)

Major Dupuis wrote to Chesterfield Commonwealth Attorney William Davenport asking for his "help" to charge me with a crime for continuing to allege wrongdoing against county employees. (I did not become aware of this until semonths monhs later, when I received a copy of his memo.)

I sent a letter to the Board of Supervisors Clerk, Lisa Elko, stating: "We would like an opportunity to speak to the board about the abuse of animals at the Chesterfield County Animal Pound. Would you please place us on the agenda?"

Clerk Lisa Elko, CMC responded: "Your request to speak has been placed on the agenda for 3/23/05." Ms. Elko included the "Rules of Procedure" with her response. Trusting that Ms. Elko had sent me the "Rules" in their entirety, I did not look them up for myself on Chesterfield County's web site and I graciously sent her a "thank you" for having forwarded them to me.
("CMC" is "Certified Municipal Clerk" and membership in the "professional" Virginia Municipal Clerks Association. Their stated mission is to be of "service to the community".)

Local ABC affiliate TV-8 reporter Diana Massee called the City of Richmond Deputy Commonwealth Attorney (my colleague) and asked if I was credible, "because the Chesterfield police are trying to wreck Eileen's credibility." My colleague assured Ms. Massee I was credible.
Later that day, reporter Massey interviewed me for a news story on the pound. She also interviewed eyewitness Paige Collier. Massee told Collier: "The police are trying to quash the story. They are trying to discredit Eileen and everything she has to say." Collier vouched for my credibility and spoke, on camera, about deplorable conditions at the pound.

On 3/17/05 at 3:30pm, I received an e-mail from Clerk Lisa Elko informing me that "Each speaker has to request in writing to speak by noon (3/17/05)". When I then looked up the "Rules of Procedure", it was clear Clerk Lisa Elko, CMC had omitted this sentence in the version she had sent to me.

I immediately wrote Ms. Elko, asking why she did not tell me about this important "rule" until three and a half hours after the deadline. Ms. Elko did not respond. We therefore could not make our presentation to the Board of Supervisors on 3/23/05.

TV-8 News — the 6 pm version — showed:
- A close-up picture of Captain Daniel Kelly's memo to me verifying that cats were gassed inhumanely.
- An interview with me talking about the inhumane manner in which cats were transported to the gas chamber and the inhumane manner in which they were gassed.
- Paige Collier's interview.
- Police Chief Col. Carl Baker stating all the allegations are "hearsay after hearsay".
- A "voice-over" by reporter Massee stating: "Today, 8-News toured the entire facility. We saw no violations that would support McAfee's or Collier's claims. Police stress the allegations are unfounded."
The 11 pm version changed dramatically. The police document was not shown, nor was my interview; just Col. Baker's "hearsay" comments and a benign statement by Collier.

Those familiar with the pound's problems were upset by this obvious cover-up and telephoned and wrote Massee and station manager Matthew Zelkind. Massee subsequently admitted that ten minutes before air time, she was forced by her boss to record the specific voice-over, stating: "We saw no violations that would support McAfee or Collier's claims. Police stress all allegations are unfounded."

It is not only appalling and frightening that Chesterfield County has effectively interfered with the media, but that they, in collusion with TV-8, deceived the public.

A pound volunteer (a critic) and I visited the Chesterfield Pound. Although the Pound Manager pleasantly greeted us, she then telephoned Major Dupuis who dispatched Sgt. Phillip Polk to the pound. Sgt. Polk, a plainclothes detective, put his hand in his left trouser pocket, pulling back his jacket to reveal his badge on his belt. We had done nothing to deserve police presence and intimidation. Sgt. Polk stayed at the pound the entire time we toured the facility (1 1/2 hours).

TV-6, 8 and 12 (CBS, ABC & NBC affiliates): All aired statements made to them by Dupuis (about me) just prior to the Board of Supervisors Meeting: "She knows the results of our investigation; it's not the results she's looking for; she's not satisfied with the results and all her complaints are unfounded."

The infamous Board of Supervisors Meeting. Six of us (after individually requesting to speak in writing) presented the entire story of abuse of Chesterfield's impounded animals to the Board. Police officials directed the TV-8 cameraman when to come into the meeting room and when to leave. He was directed not to film those of us presenting our allegations; he was directed to film only police officials stating all allegations were unfounded.

Board member Kelly Miller ordered a sheriff's deputy to remove me. (See Part 2).

I received a letter from Paige Collier and Jamie Buckmaster, two eyewitnesses to the abusive conditions at the pound who had spoken to the Board of Supervisors along with me and others the day before. Their letter stated they were severing all ties with me "because of your conduct at the Board of Supervisors' meeting". Their letter prohibited me from using their statements, photographs and any other documentation they provided about the abuse of animals at the pound "anywhere, at any time, in any state for any reason." Both these witnesses met with police after their presentations to the board. Subsequent to this meeting, they became supporters of the pound and the police "investigation".

(In a letter to the editor of the Chesterfield Observer five months earlier, Buckmaster wrote: "We are forced to keep our mouths closed in Chesterfield County about the conditions at the shelter or we will be punished...anytime rescue (persons) speak out about the shelter, they are punished...it amazes me—the number of people I know in rescue who are sickened by the conditions at the county shelter but are afraid to say anything." )

Board of Supervisors Chairman Ed Barber wrote the following in a letter to a private citizen who asked that my allegations be investigated: "We have investigated and have found that Ms. McAfee's accusations are essentially groundless. Her effort is misguided and unfortunate. She had to be escorted from our meeting room due to her erratic behavior. I understand this is also true of a past Richmond City Council meeting." (Fact: I was never removed from a Richmond City Council meeting nor meetings at any other localities. Furthermore, if my behavior was so "erratic" why did Mr. Barber ask me not to leave the room when Mr. Miller ordered me out?)
"Chesterfield Board of Supervisors Chairman Ed Barber, a Chesterfield elementary school teacher...was placed on leave after getting his shoulders massaged by two kindergarten children...[Chesterfield] Police investigated but filed no charges."
-- "Wrongdoing without wrongdoers?," Richmond Times Dispatch, Nov 12, 2004

In a letter to Chesterfield County Administrator Lane Ramsey, my husband and I offered to pay the entire cost ($10,000) for an outside agency (The Humane Society of the United States or the ASPCA) to evaluate the Chesterfield Pound. We received no response.

We re-sent our offer to Mr. Ramsey. Mr. Ramsey responded to our offer three weeks later by telling us our money would be better spent by donating it to the Pound!

Requests to Chesterfield County for information made under the the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) have resulted in excessive charges and sarcastic responses from County Administrator Lane Ramsey. A complaint filed by me with the FOIA Council resulted in an opinion by them in my favor.

County Administrator Lane Ramsey wrote to me: "As I have previously indicated to you, your allegations, and those of your informants, have been investigated and have been determined to be groundless. Due to the number of groundless complaints which we have received from you in the past, please be advised that we will not be responding to future correspondence from you...(except as pertains to FOIA requests)".

The Chesterfield Observer: "An investigation by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services found violations at the Chesterfield Animal Shelter...McAfee acknowledged she had filed a complaint against the shelter with the state agency. Dr. Robert Pitts of the Office of Veterinary Services called her 'a concerned citizen with credible evidence.' 'The investigators found violations, and they have been corrected,' said McAfee. 'I attribute the corrections to the courage of the citizens who came forward and gave signed statements, the state vet's office and your newspaper coverage. The Chesterfield shelter wouldn't have changed on its own. I'm happy.'

'The state's investigation parallels the results of our investigation,' said Major Thierry Dupuis. 'When there are problems at the pound, they are taken care of.'"

I am happy to report that many of the most serious violations have been corrected:

The gas chamber is no longer used to kill animals.

Two veterinarians have been hired to humanely euthanize all animals by injection.

Animals are handled with care.

Dogs are no longer sprayed in the face and on their bodies with high pressure hoses.

The cages are cleaner.

There are fewer sick and injured animals housed with healthy ones.

In August 2005, after I had taken my case to the State level and an investigation was undertaken by State officials, Major Dupuis finally admitted in the Chesterfield Observer that problems did exist. However, he had the audacity to claim that the State's investigation paralleled that of Chesterfield's!

There are still serious issues remaining to be addressed:

No one is being held accountable for any of the violations because Dupuis says the abuse was "not intentional". Apparently the Commonwealth Attorney concurs. (Lack of "intent" certainly doesn't prevent the county from prosecuting private citizens for animal abuse.) [Note: I do not agree with Dupuis' self-serving declaration. I think there was abundant willful wrongdoing. Everyone connected with Pound management did their best to divert attention away from every-day, obvious institutionalized abuses.]

The falsification of State Veterinarian Inspection Reports by management was also given a "pass."

By far, the most chilling action on the part of Chesterfield County officials was just recently discovered: a memo from Major Dupuis to the county's Chief Prosecutor requesting his "help" in bringing criminal charges against me for continuing to allege wrongdoing by the pound manager and the gas chamber operator. (Abusers go free and whistleblowers are prosecuted: there's something wrong with this picture.)

In the previous post in this series, Mrs. McAfee describes how she was forcibly removed from a Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting for questioning why she was being berated for not attending a partial birth abortion rally. Anyone in her position would have done the same. For a board member to bring up partial birth abortion when the topic in question was animal cruelty at The Pound is reckless and totally out of line. But the board has made up a self-protective story that Mrs. McAfee was disruptive. In reality, it seems to me that they concocted a ridiculously transparent and implausible excuse to avoid giving Mrs. McAfee a platform for laying out her well-documented evidence of incompetence, abuse, and dereliction of duty at the Pound.

Subsequent to Mrs. McAfee's mistreatment, yet another Chesterfield government body — the County Planning Commission Board — threw out a citizen-attendee for seemingly arbitrary reasons (or more likely, because they couldn't bear to hear credible criticism). In this case, the person was handcuffed and charged with "disorderly conduct." According to his account, when he told the deputies who cuffed him that he couldn't have his arms behind his back so tight because he'd just had open heart surgery, the deputies sarcastically replied, "Oh, do you need an ambulance?" This latest victim of Chesterfield brutality explained his ordeal on a radio talk show, where he won approval from listeners and attracted the interest of the ACLU.

A few months prior to Mrs. McAfee's removal, the Chesterfield BOS ordered a woman out of the meeting room. She was on the same WRVA radio show as the recent victim who was handcuffed. She stated she was in no way rude or disorderly; rather, she just spoke about a subject which criticized the Chesterfield County administration. She not only was ordered out of the room, but out of the building as well. It was 1:00 AM on a cold, dark winter night. When she told the Deputy she was concerned about her safety because she had no transportation, she received no response. Her "transportation" was still in the meeting, unaware that she was left to fend for herself outside in the middle of the night.

The Chesterfield Board of Supervisors has gotten way out of hand—treating innocent citizens like common criminals, making up lies about them, slandering them, and, from the looks of it, pressuring the media to misrepresent events in order to avoid exposing Government corruption. It looks to me like the Chesterfield government has hijacked democracy and replaced it with the strongarming, intimidation, and show-trial tactics from the Stalinist era. The way they treat their own citizens — when those citizens have a complaint that could incriminate government officials — is disgusting. They make a mockery of the democratic process. Perhaps worst of all in Mrs. McAfee's case, their abuse of power has prolonged the suffering of innocent animals in the Pound.

Next Post: The City of Richmond Animal Pound, and the attempt to criminalize whistleblowing.

Labels: Chesterfield County, Eileen McAfee, McAfee

Posted by: Gary / 10:04 PM (1) comments