DawnWatch: Live animal trucking breaks and hen cages — Des Moines Reg and Wash Post — 9/29/06
September 29th, 2006 11:19 pm by Kelly Garbato———- Forwarded message ———-
From: DawnWatch – news [at] dawnwatch.com
Date: Sep 29, 2006 5:28 PM
Subject: DawnWatch: Live animal trucking breaks and hen cages — Des Moines Reg and Wash Post — 9/29/06
Today’s papers include two stories on welfare issues for animals raised for food. The Friday, Septemer 29, Des Moines Register covers a ruling that will require animals being trucked to slaughter to be unloaded every 28 hours. The Washington Post covers a call for labels telling consumers that their eggs come from caged hens. The articles are perhaps most useful in their ability to provide some public education regarding the horrendous treatment of animals used for food.
The Des Moines Register article is headed, “USDA says rule on livestock stops applies to trucks. The regulation, originally used for rail shipments, requires most animals to be unloaded every 28 hours.”
The word “most” is included since as the article tells us, “Chickens and turkeys won’t get any relief from the rule.” Chickens and turkeys are exempt from even that minimal protection, as they are from the federal Humane Slaughter Act.
The article tells us:
“It has become common practice in the pork industry, in particular, for trucking companies to assign two drivers to each load to avoid having to stop en route, these officials say.” And we learn that “more than a million pigs were shipped from North Carolina to Iowa in 2001, the latest year for which USDA has records on state-to-state shipments. Another 1.7 million originated in Canada.”
The story does not mention that the trucks making those lengthy journeys have no protection from the elements. There is no airconditioning in the summer. In the winter, some animals arrive dead, while others, less fortunate, arrive alive but frozen to the truck and have to be ripped out of it.
Reminding us that the suffering of veal calves does not end after months alone in a crate unable to move, we read:
“Trucks carrying calves avoid stopping so the animals don’t lie down, said Leon Yantis, president of the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association. Calves travel better standing, he said.”
You can read the full article on line here OR tinyurl.com/hzbfz.
The Friday September 29 Washington Post piece is headed, “Graham Wants Stores to Label Eggs From Caged Hens.” (Pg B4)
It tells us that D.C. Council member Jim Graham “is proposing a District law that would require stores that sell eggs to indicate whether the product was produced by hens that were kept in cages. Sellers would be required to hang signs with black letters at least one inch tall that say ‘Eggs may be from caged hens.’”
The article quotes HSUS’s Paul Shapiro:
“The bill is important in that it protects consumers who are concerned about animal cruelty. It would be a tremendous step forward.”
And it tells us about the current state of the industry:
“About 95 percent of eggs sold are produced by caged hens, said Mitch Head, a spokesman for United Egg Producers, which represents about 85 percent of U.S. egg producers. A decade ago, the number was closer to 100 percent.”
The article refers to a film on the HSUS website that “shows dozens of hens with unkempt feathers squeezed into rows of cages.” You’ll find that film on line, here.
You’ll find the full Washington Post article on line here OR tinyurl.com/zpfe7.
Both of the articles cited above present great opportunities for letters discussing the treatment of animals being raised for food, and perhaps singing the praises of plant-based diets. The Des Moines Register takes letters at tinyurl.com/cduqy (That page has a nice section on tips for being published.) The Washington Post takes letters at letters [at] washpost.com
Always include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when sending a letter to the editor. Shorter letters are more likely to be published.
Yours and the animals’,
Karen Dawn
(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets. You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at www.DawnWatch.com. To unsubscribe, go to www.dawnwatch.com/cgi-bin/dada/dawnwatch_unsubscribe.cgi
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