PhillyTablet Inquirer Daily News
Mobile
Home Delivery
philly.com
email
font size
comments
1
options
 
Saturday, October 31, 2009

USDA shuts veal slaughter house after video shows abuse

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.

 
Posted by Amy Worden @ 12:28 AM  Permalink | 1 comment
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:12 PM, 10/31/2009
    What is wrong with the human race? What heartless useless scum. We talk about skinning dogs and probable cats alive in China, we are not any better. I can't even watch the video. This is why a like animals more then people.
    — rita1


1 comments
About Amy Worden
Amy Worden is a politics and government reporter for the Inquirer. In that capacity she has explored a range of animal issues from dog kennel law improvements and horse slaughter to the comeback of peregrine falcons and pigeon hunts. From hamsters to horses, animals have always been part of her life. To pass along a tip or contact Amy, click here.
Advertise Here