Target: Tom Vilsack, United States Secretary of Agriculture
Goal: Strengthen animal welfare standards on farms throughout the U.S. and ban custom-exempt slaughter.
An undercover investigation of three USDA certified, custom-exempt slaughterhouses revealed gross violations of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act. Workers at the three slaughterhouses—Operation Orlando Poultry, Operation Ali Meats, and Operation A-Poultry—were reportedly observed dragging animals inhumanely, stabbing them to death, slowing sawing off their heads, and skinning animals while still conscious. Investigators with Animal Recovery Mission allege that workers also failed to use any sort of stunning device to render the victims insensitive to pain and, so, they were fully conscious during the butchering process. Among the species found at the locations were goats, dogs and puppies, cows, donkeys, horses, sheep, rabbits, and many others.
Custom-exempt slaughterhouses, like the ones investigated here, are not uncommon throughout the United States. These facilities are exempt from federal inspection by the USDA and, as a result, can essentially do whatever they please with their animals. In addition to allowing inhumane treatment of animals, this laissez-faire way of slaughtering poses food safety risks for humans who consume the meat, especially in a time where bird flu is contaminating tens of thousands of live poultry.
Sign this petition to demand all slaughterhouses are federally inspected and stop allowing animals to be tortured in custom-exempt facilities.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Secretary Vilsack,
Animal Recovery Mission recently conducted an undercover investigation of three of Orlando’s USDA certified, custom-exempt slaughterhouses, and their reported findings are downright atrocious. According to investigators, animals were inhumanely dragged to slaughter, violently stabbed in the neck and chest, had their heads sawed off, and were skinned alive. And, as none of the three locations seemed to possess a stun gun, animals–including goats, sheep, puppies, dogs, horses, cows, rabbits, and others–remained fully conscious throughout the whole process and literally felt their skin being shredded from their bodies.
Sadly, these three slaughterhouses–namely Operation Orlando Poultry, Operation Ali Meats, and Operation A-Poultry–are only a few of the custom-exempt slaughterhouses that exist in the United States. Federal violations to animal welfare laws are already common on USDA regulated farms and slaughterhouses, so one could only imagine the horrors committed with no regulation at all. This lack of interest in the operations of custom-exempt slaughterhouses might also have dangerous implications for public health–especially in the face of bird flu resurgence–as there are no federal food safety inspections.
We are asking you, Mr. Vilsack, to demand that all slaughterhouses are federally inspected and to stop allowing animals to be tortured in custom-exempt slaughterhouses.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Garrett Ziegler
These facilities are a sham; they must be fined and charged with animal cruelty and be permanently closed. USDA do your job inspect all facilities and do not issue/provide any more custom exempt slaughterhouses.
USDA. What’s your point of existence if this is going on? Why does it take others to do your job? Here’s the opportunity to reverse this abject cruelty and to place the utmost of the law against these barbarians. ‘Exempt’ no, animals are not exempt from kindness. This is heinous and carried out by people who need to be taken away from society.
All of this is an utter atrocity, but DOGS AND PUPPIES? Being slaughtered for meat IN THE USA? What’s going on here and why is this the first we’re hearing of it?????
I put equal weight on all the animals.
My thoughts exactly!! Puppies and dogs? WHO is “ordering” them to eat?!?! Criminal. Disgusting. Horrific. And who is gentler than a donkey. All innocents. Where are their rights? Customs my A—.
I had to read this twice to see if I had actually read the words ‘dogs and puppies’ – I am utterly in shock. This is common practice in the Chinese dog/cat meat trades, but in the US? This has to be investigated further, preferably via your dog-loving President. (I hate that this is happening to any animal, by the way.)
It is horrible that dogs and puppies are subjected to this but the same goes for the rest of the animals as well. BAN animal ag. There has to be an intervention and legally you could remove the dogs and cats from that fate, but the rest of the animals need the same consideration.
Exactly, Vince! Thank you..
I did the same thing. I reread it. Why arent all our animal protection people on this?
This is horrible no reason for these poor animals to be tourchared like this . This needs to be stopped now!!!! Why are they allowing these slaughter houses to kill donkeys puppies , dogs sheep & goats to begin with. They need to be shut down now if their not already shit down . I hope they have shut them. Down already stopped the abuse and toruching of these poor animals now
Who are these degenerates working in a slaughter house that are kicking, punching and stabbing animals prior to skinning them alive or beheading them? Any such being is a danger to society and should be evaluated. This is beyond shameful and the fact it is happening right here in US is shocking.
Exactly.
Horrifying. This is just horrifying.
This is appalling. It’s bad enough we have to fight this in other countries but here in the US too? What is an exempt slaughterhouse ?!? Ludicrous. Do better USDA and Sec Vilsack. These are living beings. 😡
HEINOUS..ATROCIOUS…BARBARIC!!!! SICK SICK BASTARDS THAT COULD DO THIS AND THE ONE’S ALLOWING THIS!!!!
Fucking Insane
The sick demented people who own these slaughter Houses should do this to each other.Straight To Hell is where they are going
Stop this horrific practice or close these places down.
USDA …..UNITED STATES DEATH ALLEGIANCE
THATS WHAT THIS DISGUSTING GOVERNMENT AGENCY REALLY IS
This is an Absolute Damn Disgrace to Humanity!…Absolutely HORRIBLE!!!….Make the Positive Decision to Close-Up & STOP These Horrific Actions NOW!!!…..Absolutely Inhumane & UNacceptable!!!…….
Go vegan!
THIS IS ANIMAL CRUELTY AND MUST STOP.
Absolutely disgusting.How is this even allowed. Truly there are evil people working in these places.
ALL slaughter is cruel regardless of the Humane Slaughter Act, which, by the way, specifically exempts poultry, 9 billion of whom are violently killed each year, just in the United States, while the 1 billion “covered” suffer the above torments routinely, you cannot kill 10 billion (just land) animals yearly and expect anything other than torture – it’s a death industry where killing is valued, not kindness.
Slaughterhouses don’t exactly attract people who care about animals….
The ONLY humane is vegan.
So the horrible and sick torture continues! When is this ever going to be stopped and put an end to this evil once and for all. It just seems to continue to go on as if it’s no big deal. I despise the humans who do this and also the humans who have the power to do something about this and don’t!!!!!!!!
abominable stop !
Why in the hell is this allowed to go on. These facilities need to be shut down and the monsters who work there put in jail. I cannot believe that this kind of suffering is inflicted on innocent animals. SHUT THEM DOWN.