The U.S. Department of Agriculture halted operations at a Vermont slaughter house after undercover video reveals shocking abuse of veal calves.

The video, shot by a Humane Society of the United States investigator, shows workers kicking downed calves, hitting the days-old animals with electric prods and shows a calves skinned alive.

After examining the video, the USDA closed the plant and said it would launch an investigation.

"The deplorable scenes recorded in the video released by the Humane Society of the United States are unequivocally unacceptable,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in a statement yesterday. “The callous behavior and attitudes displayed in the video clearly appear to be violations of USDA's humane handling regulations.”

Last year, the HSUS exposed the abuse of downed cows at a California slaughter plant, which led to a federal probe and the largest meat recall in U.S. history. There is now a new federal regulation banning the slaughter of downer cattle, but it left open a loophole for downer calves, reports HSUS president Wayne Pacelle in his blog.

Approximately, 700,000 veal calves are slaughtered in the U.S. each year. Arizona, California, Colorado, Maine and Michigan have passed laws phasing out the use of restrictive veal crate confinement systems, but still allow transport and slaughter of calves at any age.

To read more about the HSUS investigation click here.

Warning: the video below, shot by an undercover investigator working at the plant -Bushway Packing of Grand Isle - contains graphic images.

The reward for information leading to the culprit in the case of the two slain dogs in Chester County has grown again today.

This time a $10,000 donation from the Montgomery County-based Brook Lenfest Foundation has sent the total up to $25,000. Investigators say they have lots of tips but no hard leads yet toward solving the bizarre shooting.

Meanwhile, the family who owned the dead dogs is thanking the public for their help and donations. More from my colleague Kathleen Brady Shea here.

Call it the post rapture pet rescue.

An enterprising atheist wants to make sure that any pets left behind by Christians who depart this Earth in the rapture, don't get left out in the cold.

For $110 Eternal Earth-Bound Pets of New Hampshire is offering a 10-year contract guaranteeing that an animal-loving atheist will take care of their pets. Additional pets can be covered for $15.

The service is currently offered in 22 states, but not in Pennsylvania - yet.

Under terms of the contract, there is no refund for pet owners who may lose their faith and are not raptured.

The company's owner, Bart Centre, told the Associated Press that his pet rescuers definitely won't be raptured because they've all blasphemed the Holy Spirit in writing, committing what they believe Jesus called the unforgivable sin.

His Web site says the rescuers are animal lovers who "are committed to step in when you step up to Jesus."

The owners of the two German short-haired pointers who were shot in the head and placed tail-to-tail beside a railroad track on Sunday spoke out for the first time today.

James Milliner and his family asked the public to help them solve the crime.

Donations have poured in to the Chester County SPCA and the reward leading to the capture and conviction of the killer has mushroomed from $500 to $15,000.

More from my colleague Kathleen Brady Shea here.

This just in... the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever shot two pet short-haired pointers in Chester County has increased to $15,000.

The dogs - a 1 1/2-year-old German shorthaired pointer named Emma and a 2-year-old mix of the same breed called Luna - had been reported missing Sunday morning from a farm in Pocopson Township in the Chadds Ford area. They were found that afternoon, shot "between the eyes at close range" and placed tail to tail, about six miles away in Pennsbury Township.

Police are looking for a red Ford F-150 pickup seen with its lights flashing in the area where the dogs' bodies were dumped.

Anyone interested in contributing to the reward fund may call the Chester County SPCA at 610-692-6113, Ext. 215. Checks made out to CCSPCA can be mailed to the agency at 1212 Phoenixville Pike, West Chester, Pa. 19380.

Halloween, with its potentially toxic brew of highly-decorated costumes and candy, can be a spooky - and dangerous - time for a pet.

The Pet Poison Helpline offers the following tips to ensure your pet has a safe holiday.

Tricks, not treats! Some human treats can be deadly for pets
o Chocolate: Make sure your kids hide their Halloween stash from food-seeking dogs. Ninety-five percent of Pet Poison Helpline’s chocolate calls involve dogs getting into chocolate candy. Keep in mind, the less sweet and the darker the chocolate, the more toxic it is to your pet. Baker’s chocolate and dark chocolate pose the biggest problem.

o Other candy: Remember when you felt ill after gorging on too much candy? The same thing can happen to pets. Large ingestions of high-fat, high-sugar foods may lead to a condition called pancreatitis — a painful and potentially fatal inflammation of the pancreas. Signs of pancreatitis typically show up two to four days after ingesting a large high-fat meal. Monitor your pet for a decreased appetite, vomiting, lethargy, diarrhea and other odd behavior.

o Raisins/grapes: While small boxes of raisins are popular and healthy treats for people, keep them away from dogs. Even small numbers of raisins or grapes can cause kidney failure in dogs (and possibly cats). Never offer grapes or raisins as snacks for your pets. Choose carrots, peas, green beans or apples instead.

o Candy wrappers: Not only is candy toxic to pets, but so are the wrappers. Few animals will bother to unwrap Halloween treats before eating them. Ingestion of foil and cellophane wrappers may cause a bowel obstruction when ingested in large quantities.

· Halloween costume hazards

o Glow sticks/jewelry: Pets, especially cats, love to chew on these colorful toys. Though not highly poisonous, the glowing contents can cause pain and irritation in the mouth as well as profuse drooling, nausea and vomiting.

o Costumes: While dressing up our pets can be entertaining, keep in mind that your pet may not enjoy it. Make sure the costume does not impair their vision or movement. Also, beware of costumes containing metallic beads, snaps or other small pieces. If ingested, some metals (especially zinc and lead) can result in serious poisoning. Never dye or apply coloring to your pets’ fur. Even if the dye is labeled non-toxic, many are not meant to be ingested and can potentially cause harm.

Pets also may be afraid of people dressed in costumes and may not even recognize those they know. Fear can cause animals to act aggressively or in an unpredictable manner. If your pet seems nervous or afraid, make sure to have a safe area for them to hide or take a “time out.”

o Candles: Wagging tails and curious noses do not mix with candles. Keep candles well out of reach of four-legged friends and, when possible, use safe, electric lights in jack-o-lanterns.

If you think your pet may have been poisoned, contact your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline immediately at 1-800-213-6680 with any questions or concerns.

Pet Poison Helpline is a service available 24–hours a day, seven days a week for pet owners, veterinarians and vet techs that require assistance treating a potentially poisoned pet. Staff can provide treatment advice for poisoning cases of all species, including dogs, cats, birds, small mammals, large animals and exotic species. The helpline’s fee of $35 per incident includes follow-up consultation for the duration of the poison case. The ASPCA also operates a poison control hotline. Its consultation fee is $60.

The Chadds Ford area community is seeking justice in the execution-style shootings of two German short-haired pointers whose bodies were found lying tail-to-tail by a railroad track on Sunday.

Chester County SPCA workers are vowing to pursue the killer, while residents of the rural community are on edge, knowing there is an animal torturer on the loose. More from my colleagues Kathleen Brady Shea and Bonnie Cook here.

The Chester County SPCA is investigating a horrific case of animal abuse.

Two German short-haired pointer mixes disappeared from a house in Pocopson Township over the weekend were found shot to death alongside railroad tracks a few miles away.

The bodies of Luna and Emma, who were young dogs, were placed tail-to-tail in Pennsbury Township.

"It’s such an anathema to anyone that feels guilty about not coming home to feed their animal at six o'clock dinner, let alone something like this happening,” says Rich Britton of the Chester County SPCA told Fox-29 news. Witnesses saw a red pick-up truck in the area.

A $500 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest. Anyone with information is asked to call the Chester County SPCA at 610-692-6113.
 

UPDATE: Michael Vick was indeed sacked in last night's Eagles win over the Washington Redskins -  three times in fact - and the homeless and unwanted dogs of the D.C. area will be eating well as a result. The original pledge of five bags of food per tackle made by Main Line Animal Rescue mushroomed into four tons, which will be delivered at noon today. The beneficiary, the Washington Humane Society, says they're doing fine on food, so they will share the bounty with 17 other shelters in the D.C. metropolitan area.

Humane Society spokeswoman Sabrina Fang says the food donation will allow struggling shelters to use their meal money for other vital expenses such as medical care.

Props also go to Braxton's pet store in Wayne and to Rachael Ray's Nutrish pet food which made large donations to the project.

A Philadelphia-area animal rescue group says it plans to make good on its "sacks for Vick" pledge regardless of whether Michael Vick gets tackled, or even plays in tonight's Eagles-Redskins match up.

Last month Main Line Animal Rescue of Chester Springs - which cares for many dog fighting victims and other abused and unwanted pit bulls - took out an ad in the Washington Post offering five bags of dog food to a D.C. shelter for every Vick tackle during the Oct. 26 road game.

The pledge caught the attention of media outlets and animal lovers across the country and Main Line was hit with a flood of donations. On Tuesday, Main Line volunteers will haul four tons of food to D.C. to give to the Washington Humane Society, which says it will share with other area animal rescue organizations.

Of the decision to change the terms of the deal, Main Line founder Bill Smith said, "considering how little Vick's being played, we couldn't wait for him to be tackled. So we thought we'd just go for it."