National outrage over horrific abuse of cows and calves at the Conklin Dairy Farm in Union County, Ohio has prompted a wave of action from not only animal advocacy organizations such as Mercy for Animals, the ASPCA, the Humane Society, and Farm Sanctuary, but also from people, both everyday folks and celebrities.
Because of the public outcry, advocates are working overtime to get 600,000 signatures from Ohioans to place legislation on the November ballot that would reform the way livestock animals are treated in Ohio by factory farmers. This piece of legislation would demand the minimum of care acceptable to animal advocates that are already in place in states like California, and Arizona.
As noted on Farm Sanctuary.org, the new measures would end:
- Extreme confinement in tiny cages for months on end: Tens of thousands of veal calves, 170,000 breeding pigs, and approximately 27 million egg-laying hens in Ohio are confined in cages and crates so restrictive the animals can barely move an inch for virtually their whole lives. Many don't even have enough room to stretch their limbs or turn around. (Learn more about Farm Sanctuary's Anti-Confinement Campaign.)
- Allowing "downer cattle" to enter the human food chain: Allowing sick and injured animals into the food supply threatens public health and food safety. Cattle too sick or injured to stand or walk on their own to slaughter should be humanely euthanized, not inhumanely dragged or pushed while being shocked and beaten onto the kill floor to be used for human consumption.
- Inhumane methods of euthanasia for sick and injured animals: In Ohio, a factory farmer was videotaped killing sick pigs by hanging them execution-style from a tractor, leaving them to writhe in the air for minutes on end. He was acquitted of cruelty for the hangings, a verdict Ohio's agribusiness community hailed as a "huge victory," because Ohio has no law specifically requiring humane farm animal euthanasia methods.
While this doesn't sound like much, compared to what the laws for livestock are currently in Ohio, this is a major improvement, and a great first stepping stone to increasing the penalties for animal cruelty. The not so great portion of this law, should it pass, is that there is a 6-year grace period in which farmers must comply.
It is my deepest wish that the 6 year grace period for compliance be changed to six months! There seems no reason to put off any longer these minimum care practices.
Amendments need to be adopted to these standards such as, not only no caging, but also providing the necessary minimum square footage per animal for the natural health of the animal. Also, there need to be standards set in place for the cleanliness of the animal areas. No more, should cows and calves, pigs and chickens be confined into pens filled with mud and feces. Clean, dry grass, and clean pens absolutely must be provided for all animals.
Employees hired to farm should be required to take and pass a psychological test, and a criminal background check should be conducted. This should be mandated by the state. We would expect no less for those hired to care for children, and as I've said all along, the standards for animals should not be any different.
Actor Alec Baldwin addressed the issue with Conklin Farm at the end of a speech today saying "On another, certainly more important note, did you see the video posted here regarding the Conklin Farm animal abuse story in Ohio? Let me assure you, someone risked their health and maybe their life to record that video. When you see this, you will never again doubt the necessity for and courage of the animal rights movement."
Actress Jamie Lee Curtis penned a letter to Conklin Dairy owner, Gary Conklin, in the Huffington Post after her daughter made them aware of the heartbreaking video of abuse obtained by MFA;
"Mr. Conklin,
Our daughter came to us last night urging us to watch the video of the abuse at your plant. She was overcome with grief that human beings could inflict such cruelty and unconscious hatred at the most benign of creatures and their infants. The shocking images were too much for her father and me but we watched enough to know where it led.
There are moments in all our lives where we face our deepest, darkest truths.
This is your moment.
What will you do? (For the rest of this letter and article, click here)
The ASPCA, in conjunction with many other animal advocacy groups has announced their support of this new legislation and is working to help obtain the necessary number of signatures.
Ohio, this is your chance to put your money where you heart is! Sign the petition to get this item on the November elections ballot, then go vote YES, and pass this into law! Protect animals from non-regulated factory farm practices!
Without this important first step, such practices as witnessed in the video that outraged a nation, will continue unchecked.
All articles by Michele Gwynn are under copyright and cannot be re-posted whole without written consent by the author. Partial re-posting with a link back to the original article is permitted. For consent, questions, or comments, email megwynn@msn.com.
Comments
I agree with you wholeheartedly that the Ohio ballot measure must prevail. Of course, the Conklin dairy cruelty case highlights sadistic forms of abuse which are likely already illegal, but the practices affected by the ballot measure are far more routine forms of abuse that have been targeted for some time now. In fact, seven other states have already banned some or all of these, and this OH measure has been being waged since long before the public had heard of Conklin.
The ballot measure cannot be amended at this point, but there are indeed provisions for specific square footage for laying hens. As well, almost certainly the hanging, downers, and euthanasia provisions will be implemented immediately, while the tougher issues like replacing cage confinement systems in exchange for cage-free systems (which are required by this ballot measure) do take time, and six years is largely consistent with what other states have done.
Visit www.OhioHumane.com to help!
Please rest assured that the agriculture community was equally as outraged and disgusted by the despicable violence shown in the video. BUT- it is so important to note that the actions depicted in the film are in now way commonplace. Farmers care for their animals- not only because it makes good business sense, but because it is the right thing to do. I encourage anyone with questions about today's food production to get in touch with a farmer and learn firsthand all that goes in to animal care.
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!