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1.
CANADA'S LARGEST PIG PRODUCER PHASING OUT GESTATION STALLS
Following Smithfield Foods announcement
last week (see: http://tinyurl.com/ytke4c),
Maple Leaf Foods, the largest pig producer in Canada,
announced it, too, will phase out its use of gestation
stalls in favor of group pens within the next 10 years.
The change will apply only to the pigs it breeds (about
120,000, some 25%) and not to those it buys to slaughter.
Consumers of meat from the company will have no way
of knowing which system was used. Maple Leaf plans
to reduce the number of pigs it owns within two years
to about 50,000. Florian Possberg, an official with
the Canadian Pork Council (CPC), said the decision
sets the bar for industry and others may have to follow
suit. He predicts many producers leaving the industry
as a result. CPC is re-evaluating production methods
and advised pig producers to proceed with caution
in regard to the announcement. Some 1.6 million pigs
in Canada are kept in gestation stalls.
MAPLE LEAF TO SET PIGS FREE FROM CAGES
Toronto Star, Dana Flavelle, February 01, 2007
http://www.thestar.com/article/176954
MAPLE LEAF TO PHASE OUT SOW GESTATION
STALLS
The Star Phoenix, Jeanette Stewart, February 01, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/2gbfco
2.
VEAL COMPANY TO ELIMINATE TETHERING
Marcho Farms, one of the largest veal
producers in the U.S., announced it will stop tethering
calves. The company says calves will have space to
turn around and lie down and the ability to interact.
Older calves are to be group housed. Thousands of
calves are said to already be on the new program,
and Marcho plans to convert its remaining operations
over the next few years. (Half of Marcho’s
calves are from Amish operations Farm Sanctuary
investigated Marcho in 2002 and reported finding “…a
pile of dead calves, calves lying in their own diarrhea
and a stockroom filled with stacks of antibiotics
to keep the calves alive until slaughter.” Photos
on NoVeal.org (hyperlink: http://tinyurl.com/29yxlf
) are said to be of a Marcho facility: http://tinyurl.com/24hsxt
VEAL COMPANY TO ELIMINATE TETHERING
Farm Futures (citing MeatingPlace.com), Jan. 29, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/2r8j5j
GROCERY CHAIN HAS HISTORY OF APATHY TOWARD
ANIMAL ABUSE
Farm Sanctuary Alert 7/14-25/05
http://www.farmsanctuary.org/actionalerts/update_wegmans.htm
3.
HORSE SLAUGHTER RULING DEVELOPMENTS
In light of the recent ruling against
horse slaughter in Texas (see: http://tinyurl.com/yuhh3c), American Airlines and Delta Air Lines suspended
overseas transport of horsemeat due to uncertainty
over the legality of shipping it out of Texas. The
two horse slaughterplants in Texas said they will
continue processing horsemeat for zoos and other animal
food but not for human consumption as they prepare
an appeal. Some 95% of their horsemeat output has
been for (overseas) human consumption. The plants
are reviewing their options, including moving to Canada
or Mexico, or expanding other production (they also
process bison, ostrich, emu and wild boar). The operator
of the only other U.S. horse slaughterplant, in Illinois,
said it will not expand even if the Texas plants close,
due to the threat of future legislation against the
industry. The Republican and Democratic heads of the
House Agriculture Committee and Energy and Commerce
Committee have sent a bipartisan letter urging Representatives
to not vote for the recently reintroduced federal
legislation against horse slaughter.
TEXAS SLAUGHTERHOUSES CONTINUE TO PROCESS
HORSE MEAT
The Kansas City Star, Jim Fuquay, Jan. 27, 2007
http://www.kansascity.com:80/mld/kansascity/news/nation/16561778.htm
HORSE-SLAUGHTER INDUSTRY IN FLUX
The Dallas Morning News, Jim Getz, January 25, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/2h7rgb
4.
MAINE SLAUGHTER PROPOSAL
LD 57, a bill introduced in Maine,
seeks to prohibit the slaughtering of farmed animals
or presence of dead farmed animals within sight of
other farmed animals in commercial and custom slaughterplants
as of Jan. 1, 2009. It would also allow for financial
grants for the associated modification of slaughterplants.
One slaughterplant owner questioned the effectiveness
of such a law given that there are no inspectors for
custom slaughterplants.sell Buzzelli, asserts his
clients are innocent. A January 30th court date has
been set.
MAINE BILL CALLS FOR CHANGE IN ANIMAL
SLAUGHTER PRACTICES
Times Argus (Associated Press), Jan. 26, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/24sv96
5.
LIVE TURKEYS USED AS TARGETS
In what an investigator called "the
most gutless act of cruelty," 40 live turkeys,
weighing 20 to 25 pounds each, were fastened to straw
bales by their feet. Contestants including children,
paid $12 for three attempts to hit one of the turkeys
with an arrow, with those drawing blood winning the
bird. "None of the ones I saw shot were killed
instantly," said Keith Mohler, a local humane
officer with Farm Sanctuary. "They all flapped
and squawked, he said. Afterwards, the 40 wounded
turkeys were beheaded. Tipped off by a female member
of the 2,000-member Elstonville (Pennsylvania) Sportsmen's
Association, Mohler attended the September 9th event
as her guest. After taking photos, he called the state
police. Club members were “outraged” when
they shut the event down. Mohler cited the club for
8 anti-cruelty counts and 4 counts of offering live
animals as contest prizes. Each cruelty charge carries
a maximum fine of $750, the other charges a maximum
fine of $250. The club plans to contest the charges.
The case has been reported on CNN and as far away
as Taiwan.
SPORTSMEN’S GROUP CITED FOR TURKEY
KILL
Intelligencer Journal, Brett Lovelace, Jan. 26, 2007
http://local.lancasteronline.com/4/29722
SPORTSMEN TO FIGHT CRUELTY CHARGES FOR
TURKEY SHOOT
Lancaster New Era, Ad Crable, Jan. 31, 2007
http://local.lancasteronline.com/4/200282
6.
STARVATION CASE UPDATE
More than 600 animals have died in
what The Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) is calling
“one of the largest animal cruelty cases known
in the United States.” Responding to a request
from the medical examiner, HSUS employees arrived
to help with surviving animals from the Oklahoma case
(reported in last week’s digest: http://tinyurl.com/2bjvnq). A slide show of the grisly scenes they encountered
there can be viewed at: http://tinyurl.com/2ytu4e
Over 2,000 dead or starving animals were found on
land owned by David Bell. He has been charged with
seven counts of animal cruelty, which is a felony
in Oklahoma. Other charges are pending. Altogether,
Bell owns four parcels of property amounting to between
800 and 900 acres. The case may be the first in which
a bond law instituted last November will apply. It
would make him liable for the cost of caring for the
animals until the case is settled, unless he forfeits
them.
OKLAHOMA RANCH: A SCENE OF HORROR
The Humane Society of the U.S., Rhonda Lucas Donald,
Jan. 22-24, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/26s75w
THOUSANDS OF SICK, DEAD ANIMALS FOUND ON RANCH
Pryor Daily Times, Kathy Parker, Jan. 25, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/yvxbu7
7.
PIG TORTURE CASE UPDATE
In the Ohio case of pig torture at
Wiles farm (see: http://tinyurl.com/385bz3),
all three accused men have pled not guilty. While
there has been loud support for them by some locals,
special prosecutor Frank Forchione said he believes
an impartial jury can be selected and he is no longer
considering requesting a change of venue. Forchione
was appointed as special prosecutor to avoid conflict
of interest since the farm owner’s daughter
is an attorney with the county prosecutor office.
Bradley Miller, head of the Humane Farming Association
(HFA), which conducted the undercover investigation
of the farm, said he suspects the official search
of the property may have been delayed and the family
tipped off in advance of it. (The complaint was filed
on September 20th, the search ensued on November 8th.)
Wayne County officials deny it. The Wiles farm remains
in operation, with the Wayne County Humane Society
involved to ensure it complies with the law. HFA has
contacted U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D – Ohio)
about federal legislation regarding animal cruelty.
Video news reports of the hearing, including footage
of alleged pig abuse, can be viewed at: http://tinyurl.com/2v483w
and http://tinyurl.com/3dg754
and http://tinyurl.com/35otvk
FARMERS PLEAD NOT GUILTY TO ANIMAL CRUELTY
CHARGES
The Daily Record, Christine L. Pratt, January 31,
2007
http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/1543431
PROSECUTOR DISPUTES ALLEGATION OF OFFICE
LEAK FRANTZ REACTS TO FARMING GROUP LEADER'S SUGGESTION
WILES WAS ALERTED TO SEARCH OF HOG OPERATION
The Daily Record, Christine L. Pratt, Feb. 2, 2007
http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/1552382
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