Friday, June 3, 2011

Is Humane Treatment for Farm Animals too Much to Ask?

A letter to the editor in our local newspaper certainly caught my attention.  The writer called attention to Factory Farming and the fact that three states are attempting to pass or have already passed legislation to prohibit videotaping or audio taping of conditions on their farms.  Meat, egg, and dairy producers in these states favor such legislation as they do not wish to have the inhumane treatment of animals publicized.

The letter writer gave some examples of farms with less than acceptable treatment of the animals: one in Texas where calves were chained in tiny crates and then bludgeoned to death with pickaxes and one in California that was found to be putting live chicks into a grinder.  He also mentioned the recall of millions  of eggs due to salmonella contamination at an Iowa farm.

He continued by saying that such horrible conditions will probably not change.  The writer suggested that people avoid eating animal products.  Other websites I checked suggested the same, as well as being sure our senators and representatives are aware that we care about how animals are treated and want regulations in place to assure that they are cared for in a humane way. 

Here are some links that you may wish to check out, giving more information about the laws mentioned above, and some of the conditions that have been exposed by undercover animal rights investigators.

http://www.naturalnews.com/032274_factory_farms_animals.html

http://votersforanimals.org/issues-legislation/current-legislation-2011-2012/minnesota-legislators-aim-to-ban-whistleblowers-from-exposing-inhumane-conditions-in-puppy-mills-and-factory-farms/

It is my hope that we will find ways to support the humane treatment of animals that provide milk, eggs, and meat as part of our food supply.

This blog post written by Pam Todd, a member of the Crafting for Animals Guild on Artfire, an avid animal lover, and whose shop www.bagsandmorebypam.artfire.com features hand-crocheted items for people, pets, and homes.

2 comments:

El at Tantalizing Stitches said...

Thank you Pam. I completely agree. Whether we eat meat or not, we all want to humane treatment of animals. Where I live many animals are tied to a tree (mostly goats and sheep) without any shade or water. I really want to go over there and cut the rope and let the goats and sheep roam free.

Besides the humanity, treating animals humanely in these situations is also good for the human's health. Close and dirty quarters make it easy for infestation.

Debra at Sleepy Cat Designs said...

No, it is not too much to ask. Many changes need to be made, and hopefully one day things will be better as there is more awareness and public outcry against inhumane treatment of animals raised to provide food for others. Thanks for the reminders and info.