Farm Sanctuary is pleased by the HSUS exposé of illegal factory farming practices involving the abuse of downed cattle and their inclusion in the food supply, and we've issued a statement supporting this investigation and urging legal prosecution:
This investigation proves again what Farm Sanctuary has long demonstrated through its national No Downers campaign: the industry cares neither about the health of consumers nor about granting even the barest sliver of decency to these defenseless animals. Farm Sanctuary initiated the No Downers campaign in 1986, after rescuing a downed sheep who was discarded on a pile of dead animals at a stockyard, and we've worked to pass key legislation protecting sick animals and preventing their inclusion in the food supply ever since. Had it not been for Farm Sanctuary's efforts to gain passage of a no downer law in California in 1994, these abhorrent practices would continue without notice or concern. Today, the enforcement of these animal protection laws lay in the hands of animal advocacy organizations like HSUS and Farm Sanctuary and exposés of this nature are oftentimes the only way these atrocities and the industry's blatant disregard for the law come to light. We applaud HSUS for its efforts to give these animals the consideration they deserve, and we urge local authorities to prosecute these animal abusers to the fullest extent of the law.
For your reference, below is a timeline of milestones related to Farm Sanctuary's No Downers campaign. Currently, we are calling on the federal government to ban the marketing of all downed animals.
Milestones:
1986 – Hilda was the first animal rescued by Farm Sanctuary, lifted from a "downer" deadpile at a stockyard. Hilda spent 11 years roaming green pastures at our New York Shelter, and touched the hearts and minds of millions of people during her life. All that Farm Sanctuary does, from our shelters and investigative campaigns to our legal and legislative actions, is because of Hilda and animals like her.
1991 – NBC Network News airs startling footage obtained by Farm Sanctuary showing downed animals being dragged onto trucks. This coverage prompts the nation's largest stockyards to stop marketing downed animals and leads to the introduction of the Downed Animal Protection Act in Washington, DC one year later.
1993 – A USDA-run slaughterhouse in Wisconsin is convicted of animal cruelty for mistreating a downed animal – a rare occurrence thanks to hundreds of Farm Sanctuary members who contacted the Milwaukee County District Attorney's office, urging prosecution.
1993 – Farm Sanctuary achieves first ever conviction of a U.S. stockyard for mistreating a downed animal after prosecuting Lancaster Stockyards in Pennsylvania.
1993 – Kim Basinger lends her support in a public service announcement to end the marketing of downed animals in California.
1995 – Farm Sanctuary helps pass a law in California, which prevents dragging, pushing, holding, or selling downed animals at stockyards and slaughterhouses. Other states follow California, passing similar laws.
2001 – Farm Sanctuary files a lawsuit with the USDA urging an end to the marketing of downed cattle for human consumption.
2003 – When the first case of mad cow disease is discovered in the U.S., Farm Sanctuary is sought out for comments by New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, Reuters, Taipei Times, CNN.com, and others.
2003 – At Farm Sanctuary's urging, USDA promulgates a rule to prevent the slaughter of downed cattle for human food. Farm Sanctuary attorneys later negotiate settlement of this lawsuit against the USDA in response to the Agency's no downer rule.
2004 – The USDA announces an interim policy against slaughtering all downed cattle after a reportedly downed cow in Washington State was found to have mad cow disease.
2007 – New Holland Sales Stables found guilty on three counts of animal cruelty, after a Farm Sanctuary humane officer in Lancaster County, PA files charges. New Holland Sales Stables has been the subject of multiple animal cruelty investigations over the years.
2007 – The USDA makes the temporary ban on downed cattle (from 2003) permanent. This decision went into effect on October 1, 2007, and applies a permanent ban on slaughtering most cattle unable to stand and walk on their own as a result of illness, injury or a combination of illness and injury. However, a loophole in the regulation allows some downer cattle, and other downed farm animals to be slaughtered for human consumption.
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