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Action Alerts & Updates
April 2008: Support the Downed Animal Enforcement Act of 2008
Downed animals, livestock too weak or sick to even stand on their own, are some of the most abused by the animal agriculture industry. They may be beaten, dragged with chains or pushed with forklifts in order to move them to the killing floor, all for the sake of profit.
Animals commonly become downed for several reasons: injury, fatigue or illness. Downed animals are considered more likely to be infected with mad cow disease, also known as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). Difficulty standing or walking is a common symptom of BSE, and animals infected with the disease are more likely to fall and sustain injuries.
In response to high-profile coverage of the abuse of downed animals in the national media, several bills addressing the issue are under consideration in Congress. The most recent legislation to stop the abuse of downed animals is the Downed Animal Enforcement Act (S. 2770), introduced by Sen. Diane Feinstein (D - California). S. 2770 will discourage the abuse of downed animals through stricter penalties for offenders. These desperately-needed penalties would increase fines for those who slaughter downed animals and allow inspectors to suspend operations at facilities that slaughter downed animals with more ease.
What You Can Do
Please contact your two U.S. senators today and urge them to become co-sponsors of the Downed Animal Enforcement Act (S. 2770). Let them know that Americans care about the treatment of animals and increased penalties for abusers are essential to stopping egregious acts of cruelty. Here is how to make that contact:
Find out who your federal senators are and get their contact information by going to www.congress.org. Then click here to find out if your senators have signed on as co-sponsors of S. 2770. If they have, please send them a note of thanks. If your senators have not yet co-sponsored S. 2770 to help protect downed animals, please contact them today. Here's how:
Make a quick and easy phone call. This action takes less than a minute and can make a world of difference for the animals. Congressional offices have said that they count every phone call received on a bill as representing the opinions of up to 100 people!
When making your call, you can simply say:
"Hi. My name is ________, and I am a constituent of Sen. ________. I am calling to ask the senator to please co-sponsor S. 2770, the Downed Animal Enforcement Act, introduced by Sen. Feinstein. No animals, including those on the farm, should be treated cruelly. Can I count on the senator to ensure that downed animals get the protection they deserve? Thank you."
Follow up on your phone call with a short e-mail to your senator. Just restate your message and be sure to include your address so that the senator will know you are a constituent. Additional talking points, which you can include in your communication, can be found at the bottom of this page. Please take one more moment to let us know what you heard. Contacting your legislators is only one part of the equation. Assessing their position on farm animal issues is another. Whenever you call, write to or visit with your elected officials, let us know what happened. This feedback is vital, as it allows us to make the most of our resources and focus our energy on issues that need the most urgent attention. Sharing your feedback couldn't be easier. Just fill out this form (be sure to type "Downed Animals (S. 2770)" in the subject line) and detail your experience. Remember, a little information can have a massive impact, leading to positive change for farm animals!
Talking Points:
- Downed animals are routinely dragged with chains or pushed with tractors or forklifts. Handlers may drag animals by their tails or ears, or use electroshock prods and other implements to force downed animals to stand or drag themselves along.
To be used for human food, animals must be kept alive until they are slaughtered. For this reason, downed animals awaiting slaughter often suffer for hours or days at a time without veterinary care. Further, rendering companies that make scheduled visits to farms to pick up dead animals generally prefer to purchase carcasses of newly-dead animals, thereby furthering the industry's motivation to keep downed animals alive. Requiring the immediate euthanasia of downed animals would remove the profit motive and eliminate unnecessary, prolonged suffering. Industry experts estimate that 90 percent of the incidences of downed animals could be prevented through better care and better transportation and handling methods. Requiring humane euthanasia for downed animals would provide a strong incentive to ensure the health of livestock during all stages of production, and prevent them from becoming downed in the first place.
Food Safety Concerns
- Meat from downed animals is more likely to be unfit
for consumption and contaminated by bacteria and diseases,
including Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE),
also known as mad cow disease. Of 16 cases of BSE
documented in North America, 14 were found in downed
cattle.
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) records show that downed animals afflicted with gangrene, malignant lymphoma, pneumonia, or other serious illnesses have been approved for human consumption by the agency.
Public Opinion
- A 2003 Zogby Poll found that 77 percent of likely voters consider the slaughter of downed animals for human consumption to be unacceptable.
The Cost of Downed Animals
- Because downed animals represent a tiny fraction of livestock brought to market, banning their slaughter would have a minimal economic impact, especially if measures were taken to reduce the incidence of downers in the first place. Meanwhile, animal welfare and consumer health benefits would be substantial.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Please contact Farm Sanctuary at campaign@farmsanctuary.org or 607-583-2225, ext. 229 if you need guidance or model bill language to present to your state legislators.
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