Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, testifies today before the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies to discuss The HSUS' recent undercover investigation of nonambulatory "downer" dairy cow abuse at the Hallmark/Westland slaughter plant and to offer remedies to prevent a recurrence of these practices at other plants.
Chairman Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.) called the hearing to discuss the recent Hallmark/Westland cruelty investigation, subsequent beef recall, and USDA oversight issues. During the hearing Pacelle will present lawmakers with background on the investigation, an assessment of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) policies on downer cows and a summary of necessary next steps.
"This investigation has done more than expose one company's abusive practices," said Pacelle. "It has led us to the inescapable conclusion that there are serious shortcomings in the USDA's policy on handling downer cattle and its broader enforcement efforts at slaughter plants."
Pacelle's testimony makes clear that there exists a major loophole in USDA policy that allows some downed cows to be slaughtered for human consumption. That loophole—which fails to adequately prevent the slaughter of animals who are sometimes violently forced onto their feet long enough to pass inspection, including some animals who go down after initial inspection— was the focal point of a lawsuit filed yesterday by The HSUS against the USDA.
In his testimony, Pacelle will urge the committee to pursue laws to close the current downer loophole and protect both farm animals and food safety. The Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act (S. 394/H.R. 661), which would establish a national no-downer policy, is especially crucial. Another important bill, the Farm Animal Stewardship Purchasing Act (H.R. 1726), would set basic animal welfare standards for producers who sell food to the National School Lunch Program and other federal purchasing programs.
"USDA must take immediate steps to prevent these abuses of animals, and keep downer cows out of the American food supply," said Pacelle.
Click here for the full text of Pacelle's testimony.
Broadcast-quality footage from The HSUS' investigation is available at http://video.HSUS.org.
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