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
There are alternatives to animal skins that need to be utilized
Hang them!I
OMG, this sounds like hell on earth. The soulless fuckers who can do such atrocities to innocent, intelligent, sentient animals… await a sad, sad, vile future for themselves as karma will come knocking.
There is no need for this. None. And I seriously wonder about any individual who can carry out such grotesque activities.
I agree
This is so sickening to read how these poor, innocent animals are tortured and being killed in the most horrific ways without sedation. This country needs every slaughter house inspected , no exceptions are to be made, if they don’t comply shut them down. This is not a third world country or is it?
WHAT THE HELL COUNTRY ARE WE LIVING IN??? THIS IS THE SAME BARBARIC, DEPRAVED, SICKENING TREATMENT OF INNOCENT ANIMALS WE SEE IN BACKWARD MID-EASTERN COUNTRIES STILL LIVING IN THE 7TH CENTURY!!!! WHERE ARE THE INSPECTORS???? WHERE ARE THE ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO SHOULD BE ENFORCING THE LAWS AGAINST THIS UNSPEAKABLE CRUELTY????
Why are dogs, puppies and horses being slaughtered? These are companion animals and never used as good in this country. I am
appalledd. Stop this madness!!
ANYONE WHO CAN TURN AWAY AND ALLOW THIS UNSPEAKABLE CRUELTY TO GO ON IS WITHOUT A SOUL. DEAD STOP. AND THE “AUTHORITIES” WHO APPARENTLY HAVE NEVER READ ANY OF THE ANIMAL PROTECTION LAWS WE HAVE ALL FOUGHT SO HARD TO PASS SHOULD BE ASHAMED TO COLLECT A PAYCHECK, AND NEED TO BE FIRED!
HOW MANY MORE YEARS DO WE HAVE TO PROTEST, AND HOW MANY TRILLION MORE ANIMALS MUST SUFFER BEFORE THE MUTANTS RESPONSIBLE ARE PROSECUTED, AND THOSE WHO FAIL TO ENFORCE THE ANIMAL PROTECTION LAWS ARE THEMSELVES PROSECUTED!!!!
It is a common sense matter that any slaughterhouse exempt from Federal Inspections would open up a doorway for their workers to brutally kill and commit horrific acts of animal cruelty and torture. Why this is allowed is beyond comprehension. Any and all slaughterhouses should be subject to Federal Inspections including these so called custom-exempt facilities.
It is unconscionable that this is allowed to happen here!! ALL slaughterhouses and meat processing facilities need to be inspected and held accountable for their practices. WE MUST DO BETTER!!!!
Barbaric methods, indeed!
I hope everyone who is involved in the torture of these animals, this includes those who do the killing and those who condone it, come to a horrible end themselves.
Dogs and puppies? Being slaughtered in America?? I’m disgusted! I’ve been signing to end the Yulin dog slaughter and had no idea it was being done in my home country. I’m absolutely appalled and ashamed. This needs to be shut down now! I am so sick of the evil people and deeds… When will it end?
It is just as horrific and painful for ALL of those animals. And you need to wake up and learn what is going on: all sorts of terrible things are being done to animals of all kinds. Good people need to speak out and activate. These miserable people and businesses count on people saying noting so they can go about their cruel business. Forget HSUS and ASPCA – there are better groups that are doing more. Join them.
Why is this happening anywhere in the world.But this is an eye opening shock.Tell me why are they purposely torturing any creature in our United States and who in the hell is beheading puppies and dogs and skinning them alive.Which leaves who in the fuck is eating them.I would love to see it done to any of the men and women working, supervising and especially owning these many companies. Where are you De Santis?
Incredible that USDA covers this up and this disgusting cruelty occurs in the USA. These animals are being inhumanely slaughtered for humans and deserve utter respect.
This is sickening! This horrible cruelty needs to end already!
The people that do this to helpless animals need the same thing done to them.
GO VEGAN, as long as you consume products based on the exploitation of animals, this hell will never end. Vegan is the only ethical eating option, 100% cruelty-free! Don’t kid yourself with nonsense like “humane” treatment of animals in slaughterhouses! This petition proves my statement… and the countless other petitions I have signed. VEGAN is our future!!!
Thank you.
I hope humans pays hard and very soon for so much cruelty and murder defenseless animals!