Each week, for the next eight weeks, we will be profiling a different Mercy For Animals campaign, highlighting the mission, focus, and some of the people working on them behind the scenes. This weeks campaign spotlight is on MFA's undercover investigations.
Every year, Mercy For Animals' undercover investigators blow the lid off some of modern animal agriculture's cruelest practices, revealing time and again, that animal abuse is the norm in meat, dairy and egg production. Wired with hidden cameras, MFA's team of undercover investigators documents the harsh realities for billions of cows, pigs, chickens and turkeys who are forced to endure intensive confinement, abusive handling, painful mutilations, careless neglect, and merciless slaughter.
But what animal abusers work so hard to conceal from public view, Mercy For Animals works diligently to expose. Through the power of video documentation, MFA investigators act as the eyes and ears for the public, who are kept largely in the dark about factory farm conditions. Undercover investigations are a vital part of our grassroots activism, education and advertising efforts aimed at opening consumers' hearts and minds to the plights of farmed animals and empowering people with the accurate information they need to make humane food choices.
In addition to raising international awareness of the cruel, but common, practices of the meat, dairy and egg industries and enlightening countless consumers through thousands of television, newspaper and radio stories, MFA's investigations have achieved major, measurable successes, including helping to pass landmark farmed animal protection legislation; prompting one of the country's largest egg producers to move away from battery cages; leading law enforcement to raid an investigated facility; and encouraging major restaurants, grocery chains and food wholesalers to end their supplier relationships with facilities caught abusing animals.
Learn more about how MFA's undercover investigations are exposing the dark underbellies of the meat, dairy and egg industries.
MFA's undercover investigation at New York's largest dairy farm, which revealed shocking animal cruelty, continues to make waves. On Friday, "Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell" featured a powerful spotlight report on the investigation, which included an interview with New York State Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal, who was proposed a ban on the cruel and unnecessary practice of tail docking dairy cattle.
In an eye-opening testimony given to the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Thursday, March 4, Dr. Dean Wyatt, a supervisory veterinarian at the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, accused senior USDA officials of attempting to cover up reports of cruel and illegal slaughterhouse practices.
Describing numerous incidents of egregious cruelty to animals at multiple slaughterhouses, including workers butchering pigs while they are still conscious and able to feel pain and repeatedly shocking and beating calves who were too weak to even stand, Wyatt testified that he and other inspectors who cited slaughterhouses for unsafe and illegal practices were often overruled and threatened with transfer or demotion.
After citing an Oklahoma slaughterhouse when workers were caught stabbing conscious pigs, Wyatt said the plant appealed his decisions to district supervisors based hundreds of miles away in Arkansas. In 2008 and early 2009, Wyatt ordered Bushway Packing in Vermont to suspend operations three times for the cruel mishandling of animals, but USDA officials allowed the plant to reopen each time. Following the release of undercover video taken at Bushway last fall, which uncovered extreme cruelty to animals, including a worker attempting to skin a calf alive, the USDA suspended operations at the facility pending further investigation.
Calling for reform, Wyatt told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, "I truly believe that the USDA inspector is the only advocate animals have in slaughter plants. When we turn our backs on the helpless, when we fail to speak on behalf of the voiceless, when we tolerate animal abuse and suffering, then the moral compass of a just and compassionate society is gone."
Fortunately, each one of us has the power to help end this abuse by simply choosing to adopt a vegan diet. Find out more at ChooseVeg.com.
As The Washington Post reported on Monday, since the first Earth Day 40 years ago, the United States has significantly reduced the amount of manmade pollutants known to cause acid rain, global warming and dead zones (areas in lakes, rivers and oceans that are too oxygen-depleted to sustain most forms of life); however, the amount of "natural" pollutants generated by the United States has increased dramatically, in the form of animal manure from modern mega-factory farms.
Because animals are so densely packed on today's industrial farms, they produce more manure than can be absorbed by the land as fertilizer. This excess manure emanates methane, and is the fastest-growing source of this greenhouse gas. It also generates manure run-off that travels into our nation's waterways, resulting in the 230 dead zones along the U.S. coast (up from 16 dead zones in the 1950s).
While the Obama administration, the EPA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are taking steps to address the threat of mounting manure from a rampant factory farming system, they are already being met with fierce resistance by big animal agribusiness.
Click here to read The Washington Post article in its entirety.
A new Mercy For Animals' anti-meat billboard campaign is turning heads in Sin City. Spread across the greater Las Vegas area along bustling highway routes and nestled on busy street corners, are nine newly erected pro-vegetarian billboards that are giving residents and visitors to the entertainment capital of the world some serious food for thought.
The provocative campaign features an adorable puppy and a lovable piglet sitting side-by-side and asks, "Why love one but eat the other?" Another design features a kitten and chick, posing the same question. Motorists are encouraged to "Choose Vegetarian" and visit ChooseVeg.com and VegasVeg.com for additional information. The ads, sponsored by local members of Vegas Veg, will be viewed over 10 million times in the next month.
While the billboards feature heartwarming images, their message strikes at the heart of a disturbing issue.
While all 50 states have laws protecting dogs and cats from abuse, animals on factory farms have little to no legal protection in most states. Cruelty that would be punishable by law, if it were inflicted on dogs or cats, such as neglect, mutilation, transport through all weather extremes, and gruesome and violent slaughter, is commonplace in animal agribusiness. Yet farmed animals are no less intelligent or capable of feeling pain than are the dogs and cats we cherish as companions.
Thankfully compassionate consumers can widen their circle of compassion to include all animals, not just those widely viewed as companions, by adopting a vegan diet.
Dedicated advocates with Mercy For Animals recently dished up both food for thought and the stomach, when they spent the day at Harper College in Palatine, Illinois reaching out to students and faculty about the multitude of benefits of a plant-based diet.
Hundreds of pieces of pro-vegetarian literature were distributed to students on the cruelties of factory farming, along with samples of delicious vegan alternatives to animal products - including Tofurky slices, almond & soymilk, and vegan cookies. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with the event enticing both members of the faculty and staff, who stopped by the table to sample the cruelty-free fare.
ABC News is reporting that Phil Niles, the worker at Willet Dairy filmed on hidden camera by an undercover Mercy For Animals' investigator striking a cow in the head with a wrench and then bragging about such abuse, has been suspended.
"Animal rights groups, however, say that suspension is not enough, and that Niles should be fired and brought up on criminal charges."
"This employee should be fired, prohibited from working around animals, referred for psychiatric evaluation, and criminally prosecuted for abusing animals," said Nathan Runkle of the advocacy group Mercy for Animals, whose undercover investigator filmed Niles striking the cow at Willet, one of New York's largest dairies.
"This action is too little, too late and fails to address larger underlying issues of animal cruelty at Willet Dairy."
Although workers who maliciously abuse animals should certainly be reprimanded, it's important to remember that the vast majority of farmed animal suffering is caused by the intensive confinement, mutilations without painkillers, untreated disease and injury, and the unnatural and deprived conditions that largely go hand-in-hand with factory farming.
Although rampant animal cruelty in the American poultry and pork industry is reason enough to go vegetarian, CBS Evening News is exposing yet another dark side to factory farming - the potentially dangerous overuse of antibiotics in livestock.
Want to spend this Valentine's Day savoring the flavor of local vegetarian culture while also making a difference for animals? Chicagoland is teeming with anticipation for Mercy For Animals' 5th annual Vegetarian Valentine's Party, which takes place this Saturday, February 13. Make this holiday about more than cheesy cards and instead celebrate your love for all creatures and a more compassionate world!
Enjoy the company of like-minded compassionate people--this event will be the perfect place to meet new people, mingle with old friends, or bring your special someone for a romantic night out. Experience the sumptuous variety of the best vegetarian fare Chicago (and the country) has to offer. The event's all-vegan spread includes appetizers from Veggie Bite, Dharma Garden Thai Cuisine, Upton's Naturals, Ste Martaen cheese and premium vegan Match Meats; pizzas featuring the new delicious Daiya vegan cheese; desserts from The Chicago Diner, Farmacy Foods, NibMor Chocolates and Raw Creations.
Date: Saturday, February 13, 2010 Time: 8 p.m. - 11 p.m. Place:Black Walnut Gallery, 220 North Aberdeen Street, Chicago, IL Tickets:$35 in advance ($40 at the door)
And breaking news: Enjoy an exclusive performance by none other than Lord of the Yum-Yum! Hilarity is sure to ensue when this unique performer helps us relive our feelings of yesteryear, our innocence, and childhood memories through song and dance. Lord of the Yum-Yum sings ridiculous grind/scat vocal versions of familiar classical pieces, remixes them up with beat-boxing and live electronic loop techniques, all while wearing his signature old-school ruffle tuxedos. Don't miss this unforgettably entertaining performance!
Guest can also treat themselves to our open bar, featuring vegan and organic wine, as well as non-alcoholic drinks and tea from Chicago's own Argo Tea.
And if that weren't enough, guests will enjoy a fabulous silent auction that includes spa and relaxation packages, museum passes, gifts for your favorite companion animals, and gifts for your special sweetheart. In addition, our raffle will feature a weekend getaway to Wisconsin, wine-tastings, and local handmade jewelry.
From now until the end of February compassionate consumers have a new way to help animals - shopping for great cruelty-free and vegan goodies. That's right! For a limited time, 10% of the proceeds from every purchase made through TheVegetarianSite.com will go to support MFA's life-saving work on behalf of farmed animals.
All products are 100% vegan and sourced from socially responsible brands. The Vegetarian Site has everything from books, videos and dvds to vegan clothing, footwear, personal care products and groceries. This month, there is even a special Valentine's Day gift basket filled with both cookies and chocolate truffles!
