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Help Seal the Loophole for Downed Cattle and Urge Protection for Other Farm Animals. Send Your Comments to the USDA Today!

On August 27, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a proposed rule on the “Disposition of Downer Cattle,” and the agency is now seeking your input. Please send in your comments today, supporting the USDA’s proposed rule that all downed cattle – including those who become downed after inspection – be banned from slaughter.

The latest rule, endorsed by USDA Secretary Ed Schafer, is a vast improvement over previous USDA regulations, which attempted to sidestep the issue of downed animal suffering and placate the meat industry by allowing for downed animals to be slaughtered if inspectors deemed their non-ambulatory state to be the result of injury.

However, aside from being cruel, slaughtering injured, crippled animals still threatens food safety. One of the leading signs of mad cow disease is lack of coordination, and even if a downed cow is found to be “down” due to injury, it is does not rule out mad cow disease. 

While the USDA’s proposed rule marks notable progress in the agency’s treatment of downed animals, it falls short in its failure to address downed livestock besides cattle. That is, even with the new rule in place, stockyards, auctions and slaughterhouses will still have free reign to torture and abuse sick and crippled sheep, pigs and goats in order to move them to the killing floor.  

You Can Help:
The USDA is accepting comments via e-mail (its preferred method of submission) or postal mail. You do not have to be an expert to submit comments; simply let decision-makers know that no downed animals should be slaughtered. Please remember to reference docket number FSIS-2008-0022 in your correspondence!

• E-mail your comments* by September 29, 2008 to fsis.regulationscomments@fsis.usda.gov with “Docket Number FSIS-2008-0022” in the subject line. Alternatively, comments can be submitted electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov or
  e-mailed directly from here!

Please be sure to personalize the text of your e-mail.

Subject:  Docket Number FSIS-2008-0022
Text of e-mail:

Dear USDA,

Regarding Docket Number FSIS-2008-0022, I encourage the USDA to adopt the proposed rules regarding the Disposition of Downer Cattle. Specifically, I fully support the USDA's proposal to exclude all downed cattle, including those who may become downed after inspection at slaughterhouses, from being slaughtered. Instead, these animals should be humanely euthanized on the spot.

I also encourage the FSIS to extend its ban on the slaughter of downed cattle to cover ALL downed livestock – including pigs, goats, sheep, and others. No crippled or sick animal should suffer gratuitously, and the public deserves the assurance that our health is being treated as a priority when it comes to our food supply.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

• You may also submit your comments via postal mail (referencing Docket Number FSIS-2008-0022) at:

Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Food Safety and Inspection Service
Room 2534 South Agriculture Building
1400 Independence Ave., S.W.
Washington, DC 20250

*Please note that all comments received will be available for public inspection and will be posted on the agency’s Web site at: www.fsis.usda.gov/. If you do not wish FSIS to post your personal contact information (mailing address, e-mail, telephone number) on the Internet, you may leave this information off your comments.

Primary Points to Make in Your Correspondence:

• You support the USDA’s proposal to ban the slaughter of all downed cattle – for the welfare of both people and animals. The USDA should implement – and duly enforce – this ban ASAP. 
  
  
• The USDA should extend its ban on the slaughter of downed cattle to include all livestock –including pigs, sheep and goats. No animal deserves to be dragged, beaten and abused to move him or her to the killing floor, and allowing any downed animals into the food supply threatens human health.

3.  At the federal level, the Downed Animal Protection and Food Safety Act (H.R. 661, S. 394) has been introduced to ensure that "downers" will be kept out of the human food supply. This bill will remedy the shortcomings of current USDA regulations regarding downed animals by requiring the immediate, humane euthanasia of all animals who become non-ambulatory. Please take action!