CRIMES WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES - gpvec

Crimes Without ConsequenCes
Thirty states have enacted humane slaughter laws, but only one instance of criminal
prosecution under a state-level law could be located. Although every state has an antianimal
cruelty statute on the books, to date, no successful prosecutions have occurred for
cruelty committed during the slaughter process. Moreover, five states (Georgia, Illinois,
Kentucky, North Carolina and Rhode Island) specifically exclude slaughter from their
animal cruelty codes.
Industry oversight
The meat and poultry industries have developed voluntary handling and slaughter
guidelines for the different animal species killed for food. Some industry customers—
fast food restaurants specifically—use these standards to audit animal handling in the
slaughter plants that prepare their products. Each year, less than 100 of the 800 federal
livestock slaughter plants are audited, however. These plants are most likely among
the country’s largest, and many of them are audited at least annually, while most small
and very small U.S. plants have never undergone a third-party audit. Even in those
slaughterhouses that undergo audits, management and workers are typically aware of the
review and may alter their behavior in response.
Although humane slaughter laws require that all animals other than birds be rendered
insensible with one stunning attempt, industry guidelines aim for between 95 percent and
99 percent stunning effectiveness. Even if all slaughter plants were able to meet these
standards, it would mean that 185 million chickens, 1.8 million cattle and sheep and 1
million pigs may be killed inhumanely each year in the United States.
Ending the cruelty
Between 2002 and 2005, nearly 400 million animals other than birds were killed for food,
and during this period, just 42 enforcement actions beyond the issuance of a deficiency
record were taken in all of the United States for slaughterhouse noncompliance with
humane slaughter laws. Whistleblower accounts and undercover videotape documentation
from inside slaughterhouses suggest that the low level of humane enforcement is not due
to a lack of violations, but that it occurred because these crimes are either not observed
or recognized by inspection personnel, not reported through the proper channel, or the
appropriate remedial measures are not taken.
As a result of this investigation, AWI has concluded that ensuring animals raised for food
are handled and slaughtered in a humane manner is a low priority of U.S. agricultural
enforcement agencies and of the U.S. animal agriculture industry. Both of these groups
must send the message to slaughterhouses that violating humane laws is an offense
that will not be taken lightly and will result in serious and consistent consequences. In
addition, there are both legal and regulatory changes that need to be made in the current
inspection system to better protect all animals who are slaughtered for food.
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