The slaughterhouse stories you weren't supposed to see
This month alone, multiple incidents reminded us why slaughterhouses should become a thing of the past.
© Aitor Garmendia / Tras los Muros
While it's easy to blame slaughterhouse incidents on "one bad apple", the repetitiveness of horrifying incidents shows that we are dealing with routine, systemic abuse that runs rampant in the slaughter industry.
At the moment, the US Department of Agriculture is proposing increasing slaughterhouse line speeds despite the increased dangers they present to both human workers and the animals being slaughtered. Slaughterhouses are already highly dangerous places filled with violent abuse, even with current speed limits.
We have rounded up some stories that have come to light just during this past month - all of them should make us question why we continue to
Bull shot with rifle in Texas
The Animal Legal Defense Fund and Animal Partisan filed a criminal complaint this month against the Buck N'Bull Meatworx LLC slaughterhouse and its owner, Richard Bowden, over a case where Bowden was allegedly seen shooting a bull with a rifle four times. The first shots failed to render the animal unconscious, as required by humane slaughter regulations. The action, which may constitute a violation of the state's Cruelty to Livestock statute, was brought to attention in a USDA inspection report. "The mental and physical suffering that this bull endured after being shot repeatedly is not only inhumane, but, as we argue in our complaint, a clear violation of Texas law," said Maggie Marshall, Criminal Justice Program Fellow at ALDF.
Cow kicked, electroshocked and beaten in Montana
Another USDA report has revealed a worker at Bear Paw Meat LLC slaughterhouse in Montana repeatedly kicked, beat, and electroshocked a cow, leading to a complaint from PETA calling for a criminal investigation. The report noted that the worker electroshocked the cow approximately seven times and kicked the animal about four times on the back and hips. The federal inspector also saw the worker hit the animal several times with a rattle paddle in the hip and tail area. “At this miserable slaughterhouse, an animal already facing a violent and terrifying death was relentlessly beaten, kicked, and electroshocked until they cried out,” said PETA Vice President of Legal Advocacy Daniel Paden. “Cows feel pain and fear just as humans do, and PETA is calling for a criminal investigation into this violence and urges everyone to go vegan to help spare other animals from suffering in slaughterhouses.” PETA is now urging Blaine County Attorney Kelsie W. Harwood to investigate and, if applicable, bring criminal charges against the worker in question.
© Aitor Garmendia / Tras los Muros
Hundreds of chickens drowned in hot water in Arkansas
Yet another USDA report that prompted PETA to seek action is one from Nashville, Arkansas, regarding Tyson Foods, where it is reported that hundreds of fully conscious chickens were drowned in scalding hot water. The chickens were supposed to be cut across the neck and bled to death before being plunged into the water tanks - but the stunning system wasn’t working properly, which led to conscious birds being hung up on the assembly line for slaughter. An alternative stunning system using electrified water also malfunctioned. Only one worker was responsible for the slaughter line, failing to cut the animals' throats before the scalding tank. Finally, Tyson Foods staff failed to adjust a machine to cut chickens’ necks following attempted stunning. As a result, over 200 animals were immersed in hot water while still conscious.
Pig beaten at slaughterhouse in Michigan
A USDA investigator saw a worker beating a pig in the head with a paddle at a slaughterhouse belonging to Clemens Food Group in Coldwater, Michigan. According to the report, the worker was unloading the pigs from a trailer and became more aggressive and forceful in his efforts to get the animals to move faster. One pig hesitated to move, prompting the worker to use violence. PETA is now pursuing criminal charges under state law, as federal officials have failed to prosecute any inspected slaughterhouses since 2007.
© Aitor Garmendia / Tras los Muros
These incidents did not occur at fringe operations. They occurred at some of the largest and most established meat producers in the country, under federal inspection. As the USDA considers increasing line speeds further, advocates warn that faster processing will only make meaningful oversight harder - and the suffering worse.
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