Vermont Slaughterhouse Closed For Inhumane Treatment Of Calves (VIDEO)

MONTPELIER, Vt. — A Vermont slaughterhouse ordered closed Friday after video showed calves kicked, shocked and cut while conscious had its operating license suspended three times earlier this year for similar conduct.

U.S. Department of Agriculture records show Bushway Packing Inc. of Grand Isle was shut down for a day in May, again in June and again in July after an inspector cited it for inhumane treatment of animals.

The revelation came Monday as the Humane Society of the United States released more video footage taken with a hidden camera this summer. The video shows days-old male calves culled from dairy herds being dragged, kicked, repeatedly shocked with electric prods and apparently cut while still conscious.

"We found even two calves who appeared to be skinned alive while they were still conscious," said Michael Markarian, the Humane Society's chief operating officer.

The video also appeared to back up a Friday statement in which U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack described the conduct of a USDA inspector at the slaughterhouse as "inexcusable."

It showed an unidentified inspector appearing to coach a plant worker on how to avoid being shut down by another inspector and failing to stop an animal being cut while awake.

A call to the slaughterhouse on Monday was not immediately returned, nor was a call to a Ronald Bushway listed in Grand Isle.

USDA spokesman Caleb Weaver said Monday he could not comment on the inspector's conduct because it was a personnel matter.

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Markarian said it appeared several calves were abused because they would not or could not stand up to be prepared for slaughter. The slaughterhouse specialized in "bob veal" – meat from days-old calves that ends up in hot dogs and lunch meats. Meat sold as veal usually come from animals raised to about 4 months old.

Some in the Vermont dairy industry said they worried the revelations would give an enterprise generally viewed as wholesome a black eye. Bushway Packing was certified as an organic processor, raising extra concern in that sector.

"That's not right, that's really nasty," said Paul Stecker, an organic dairy farmer from Cabot, after watching the video on the Humane Society's Web site. "I wouldn't be in this business if that's the way it was. That's not the norm, I can tell you that."

Stecker said the slaughterhouse's problems also would bring attention to an aspect of dairying most farmers don't like or talk about much: The vast majority of male calves born on dairy farms face very short lives.

"That kind of thing hurts us all, like our industry really needed that," he said.

Dairy farmers nationwide have been struggling as a global milk glut has resulted in dramatically lower prices for their milk.

The Humane Society said it would propose tighter rules for the meatpacking and related industries, including a requirement that male calves born on dairy farms be kept there until they are 10 days old to ensure they are strong enough to travel.

Kelly Loftus, a spokeswoman for the state Agency of Agriculture, said she expected there would be strong opposition to such a measure.

"There are labor costs involved. There are feeding costs involved," she said. With the current crisis in dairy farming, "any extra expense could mean that a farm has to close."

Nicole Dehne of Vermont Organic Farmers, a group that certifies Vermont farms as organic under an agreement with the USDA, said the group's national counterpart is meeting in Washington this week and will discuss humane treatment of farm animals.

Organic rules now are geared mainly toward ensuring meat labeled organic comes from animals raised without hormones or chemicals.

"I think consumers expect organic regulations to cover all aspects of animal welfare, including slaughter and transportation," Dehne said. "If we need to tighten the regulations in regard to processing facilities, and come up with guidelines to address more humane transportation, I think we would respond to the expectations of the organic consumer."

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Humane Society of the United States: http://www.hsus.org/

Comments

[DonnafromLasVegas]

Donna family update: It's been a little over a week and we've not craved any beef products, (including milk). Infact we went out to breakfast and everyone ordered vegitarian meals, a miracle in itself! Our convictions are just as strong today as they were the evening we watched the vermont plant video in it's entirety.

I still have not gotten one email back from Vermont and Texas beef producer's association out of the 34 emails I sent, but I'm confident they got my message.

Thanks for your support. We are confident that any decent person who watches this video cannot possibly succumb to their craving for meat. I'm just regretful that it took us 40 years to come to the point of not eathing meat nor consuming milk. I wish the media would not gloss over these stories.

[DonnafromLasVegas]

I loved beef! I loved steaks, hamburgers, Roastbeef sandwiches and yes even the occasional veal cutlet! My husband and family too!

However, we will never touch, eat, nor look at another beef product for the rest of our existing lives! We are hearty eaters & yes we may suffer the occasional craving however what has been etched on my mind & heart recently will forever repulse those cravings. I have power to do something about this cruelty & that power is my choice to stop eating meats. That is exactly what this 45 yr old gal & family is doing in response to this video watched in it's entirety.

I applaud the people involved in exposing this plant & fear there are many more plants who are just as brutal, if not more, that are unexposed. I love animals but have hunted my fair share of deer, fowl, and fish. I love meat, but now in a different form. Alive and well. I can't stomach what I've seen. We shall boycott ALL beef companies,­ALLslaught­erhouses by taking away our biz & we are hefty people who definitely supported the beef industry up unitl this very day!

Beef industry, you'd best be prepared for boycotts all over the U.S.cuz not only will I stop eating beef, I will spend every waking hour thinking up new ways to put you out of business via my voice, my influence on friends n family, & via my blogging!

[PeaceCzar]

Good for you!

A key thing to consider is that this was an "organic" facility... whether it's organic or not, the animals suffer terribly. The only difference is an extra label and no drugs being pumped into the animal before it's slaughtered.

The animal's well-being is a distant afterthought... this type of cruelty happens all the time-- it's not the exception to the rule, but it is the rule, and not surprising that it happens. It's sad, but shouldn't exist in the first place.

That's where informing fellow citizens and making personal lifestyle choices comes into play.

[NancySeymour]

I generally subscribe to "balance" in life, but there is no balance when cruelty to animals is involved. Dave's article on slaughterhouses once again proves the injustices in everyday life. Cutting corners should not be at the animal's expense. The article is difficult to read yet for those of us who really are impassioned in this area, we can further the cause by continuing to educate, expose, and bring elected officials in. If people who really try to correctly feed their families understand this, they will get on board. It was proven with dolphins, tuna and many industries globally. Keep exposing and each of us can help by doing our part and not just walking away disgusted. No organic milk or veal is worth what these animals went through. Also very prevalent in drug production for women's hormones. Right will happen if we keep educating and exposing. My belief in people and compassion still is there if the masses know and can choose individually. This causes change. Thanks, Dave.

[AnimalLover6]

Well, let's see: This article is no longer on the front page. It's not on the "Food Politics" page. And it's not on the "Animals" page.

Just where as it been buried, I wonder?

I guess the BigAg guns are already out.

[AnimalLover6]

The dairy farmer in the article who said that "it's not the norm" is either not telling the truth, or is ignorant about what goes on in slaughterhouses in this nation. And it's a little difficult to believe that someone in the business is not PERFECTLY aware of the truth. Of course, his livelihood depends on people continuing to think that this type of treatment of animals in slaughterhouses is an exception rather than the rule. It's simply not true.

[PeaceCzar]

Exactly. It's the business and in the best interest of that individual to lie.

And if he's not lying, he is simply deluding himself. For what? A paycheck and disregard for the abject suffering of animals who he supposedly wants "humane treatment" for.

It's sickening, but it's a business. And that business is sick and depraved.

[jcadams]

Fire off --- that USDA inspector. Immediately. If this USDA inspector can't correct this egregious behavior is damn sure that he won't protect the public against tainted food products. He's either being bribed or is totally incompetent. Either way the inspector is a dirtbag and should be out of that job and off the payroll.

Now Humane Society --- to make sure e-mails and letters get out --- post the name, address, fax and phone numbers along with that person's proper e-mail address.

[AnimalLover6]

Here is what slaugherhouses do to human beings:

http://vegansofcolor.wordpress.com/2008/03/30/who-pays-the-emotional-cost-of-killing-animals-for-food/

When will people realize that the systematic torture and slaughter of animals is destroying not only the animal, not only the planet, but our very souls?

[AnimalLover6]

This happens in every slaughterhouse in this nation. Those who think this is an exceptional case of cruelty are seriously kidding themselves. There is NO WAY to enforce anti-cruelty laws in every slaughterhouse, feedlot, and laboratory in the country.

The ONLY way to stop the brutality is to go vegan. To continue to purchase meat is to continue to support animal cruelty. That's the bottom line. We can dance around, over, above, and below the truth all we want--blathering about animal welfare laws, etc.--but the only way to stop it is to go vegan.

[Skoutt]

Fanned.

[scottowego]

So far I'm about 80% vegetarian. Every day I hear about events like this help to push me further away from meat. I can't tell others what to do or what to eat. But... I think every slaughter house (ugh. I hate that name) should and could have video cameras located so the employees and management know they are being watched and monitored.

[AnimalLover6]

It will never happen. A similar bill was devised in the CA legislature awhile back, and was quickly shot down.

Corporate agribusiness owns our bodies and our hearts. And most people, unfortunately, are more than willing to believe the lies, rather than go without their pound of flesh.

We are a nation of Nazis.

[Tiger99]

I guess it would be more effective to shock and kick the calves after they "humanly" killed them...

I was shocked to learn "Hot Dogs" don't grown on trees... Thanks Huff...

[Happylib]

Your comment is filled with the intellectual dishonesty that allows cruelty to continue unabated as a "side effect" of nutrition.

[fuelie]

How is this story any different from the story I saw on Huffy in September, reporting about Hy-Line Chick Hatchery in Iowa, and showing a video of 1 day old male chicks being dumped into a meat grinder?

Has the US Humane Society or Department of Agriculture done anything about Hy-Line Hatchery's cruelty to these one-day old baby male chicks?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ--faib7to

Related stories are:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-weil-md/the-moral-ferocity-of-eme_b_335811.html

http://www.journal-topics.com/columns/rescuefund091007.html

http://blogs.discovery.com/animal_news/domestic-and-farm-animals/

Personally, I have only eaten red meat in any form about 6 to 12 times the past 27 years. I eat fish primarily, then beans, nuts, and eggs for protein. I also eat chicken or turkey on rare occasions like holidays.

[wdmax]

If you are a meat eater you should be alarmed by this article. If there is a level of contentment in a farm animal's life then you could safely assume that the products from the animal are stress free, disease free and better for you (eating animal products is not really that good for you, Google "China Study" for more detail).

Factory farming is an industrial process (watch "Earthlings" documentary) where workers deal with the animals on a level where it is easy to treat them like inanimate objects. Eventually, the industrial process numbs the workers humane emotions towards the animals leading to what the average person would call abusive.

Meat eaters should do what is necessary to ensure that the animals that provide products from their diets are treated humanely because it ultimately affects the consumer's health, and it may even taste better. So if you can't avoid the meat and dairy addiction then just make sure your food sources are cruelty free. How? Your tool to keep better informed is right in front of you.

[aspadeisaspade]

The Humane Society said it would propose tighter rules for the meatpacking and related industries, including a requirement that male calves born on dairy farms be kept there until they are 10 days old to ensure they are strong enough to travel.

Kelly Loftus, a spokeswoman for the state Agency of Agriculture, said she expected there would be strong opposition to such a measure.

"There are labor costs involved. There are feeding costs involved," she said. With the current crisis in dairy farming, "any extra expense could mean that a farm has to close."


THEN LET IT CLOSE.

[navyveteran]

I agree with you...LET IT CLOSE!

[scottowego]

I too agree. I live in upstate ny. One day I'll drive by a farm and see thirty or forty cows grazing in a field. The next day they are all gone. It turns my stomach to think of these animals being packed and crated unsuspectingly to a slaughterhouse and the absolute terror they must experience in their final moments. On top of that to abuse new born calfs. I wish I could adopt them all and give them good homes. I'm so glad I'm on the road to quitting meat but it doesn't help me sleep any better.

[lmktacwa]

yeah, but DUH! FEEDING COSTS FOR A CALF for 10 days... How about letting it have its own mothers milk... wouldn't cost a cent.

[navyveteran]

I fully support HSUS in their efforts to put an end to these despicably cruel practices. There ought to be laws on the books that put owners of such operations in jail. I watched the HSUS video. It is extremely disturbing and sad to watch defenseless animals be treated with such cruelty. I don't know how those workers can sleep at night. HSUS, keep up your good work!

[dcjdjay]

There it is.

Meet your meat.

[dayala]

what a depraved society we have become when skinning new born baby animals alive, electrocuting them and butchering them while still conscious is a source of amusement and jokes.

these sadistic abusers need to be prosecuted, jailed and subjected to the same type of treatment from their prisonmates.

[Ann Joyce]

it's the American way, cheap meat=tortured animals. it's past time to show compassion to all living creatures, to stop eating them would be a good start IMO

[scottowego]

Don't just blame Americans and say it's the "American Way" because it's not. Have you seen the videos from Chinese dog and fur farms? Humans are going to burn in H@ll for their treatment of other creatures that inhabit this planet.