HBO Special: Death on a Factory Farm - Starts Tonight.

[Wylie's Mom]

This looks interesting - it is an HBO Special that shows an undercover investigator on a Factory Farm. The interview with the filmmakers (you can click on it), who are not animal rights people, was interesting too.

Anyway, it starts airing tonight. "Pete", the investigator, also did a previous investigation about dogs; wish I had known about it.

HBO: Death on a Factory Farm

[Bianca]

I can watch things like that, I cry my eyes out , literally

[jencar98]

I don't get HBO and won't have access to this. However, I do believe that I saw the documentary on Dealing with Dogs. It was 3 years ago, right after I first got Ruby. I was working at a local hotel at night and when bored could watch tv. It took several times tuning in to watch the entire documentary as I would be too busy to watch from beginning to end. The documentary was so sad and frightening, it's what first got me interested in rescue work. It's where I learned about medical research buying auction dogs.

The man "Pete" that risks his life to get this film footage and the story deserves a hero's medal!

[RoxyJosMom]

My dtrs and I visited the Watkins Glen Farm Animal Sanctuary thinking we would just be seeing something similar to a giant petting zoo. What we saw and learned there was like getting hit in the head with a brick. There are many of these places and what they are doing is incredible. We had never really thought about the treatment animals received (yep-we were way too sheltered) on the farms that are in the documentary, but after visiting the Sanctuary, we knew far too much. Not only did we all empty our pockets of all the money we had on us and couldn't spare, we all left crying our eyes out. Any animal that is lucky enough to find it's way to one of these sanctuaries, spends the rest of it's life being treated like a King or Queen. They are loved, spoiled and taken care of. For those of you that can't watch that kind of documentary, please look at this website - it's a much gentler way of letting you know what's really going on. And if you ever get a chance to visit a sanctuary, please do. You can even vacation there in cabins that are rented out.
The Farm | Farm Sanctuary
They also rescue misplaced animals from natural disasters, vehicular accidents involving truckloads of animals, etc.

[Wylie's Mom]

Omg, I'm watching this right now -- it's so horrifying.

I can't believe what was caught on film...

[MindieRose]

It is terrible what goes on in some places, but I really hope this does not give people the crazy idea that this sort of terrible thing is commonplace on farms. I grew up on a farm, and while we werent commercial, we knew people that were, and no one was ever cruel like the people shown on this. I have always loved animals, and my children are in 4-H and taught to care for and respect animals, even if they are animals used for consumption. I hate the way that farmers are struggling anymore and I believe they are the backbone of this country. I know how the media can be very bullying so I really hope that they do shed light on those that run good farming operations as well.
Sometimes raising awareness can also raise unfounded suspicions and assumptions.

[Nancy1999]

I recorded this show, and could only make it to the part where the pregnant pigs were in the tiny pens, and not allowed to move for months on end, and couldn't watch more; I had to fast forward to the court scene. I thought the court case was very interesting, watching the people watch the video of the pig being hung with a chain made me think that many of them thought this was abuse as well. I can't believe that we can't invent a relatively cheap, effective, and humane method of euthanasia. I'm not sure what a "down" pig means; I missed that part. I think it means, the pig isn't going to slaughter, but they have to kill it because of sickness. They have more rules for slaughtering pigs then they do for a down pig, and this is why they could hang a "down" pig. Methods for slaughtering have to be efficient and not cause undue suffering, but this isn't the case with a down pig. They lost this part of the judgment because one vet said that he didn't think it was undo suffering and he seemed to think the pigs died immediately but just continued to wiggle. I don't really believe his testimony and he seemed to have a really hard time watching the film. I think he knows that the pigs were still alive and feeling the pain for a long time. It did seem like some of observers enjoyed watching the pig wiggle and squirm. I've heard that some people use to really enjoy going to human hangings, and I hope this is not the case. This method of euthanasia should be outlawed in my opinion.

During the court case I saw them throwing the piglets into trucks, and I can't believe anyone could watch that and not think it's cruel, and thankfully the judge agreed, who by the way, was a farmer. I really felt bad for the investigator he clearly believes in what he is doing, this is a true mission for him, and I'm thankful that we have people like him. I was upset because in the courtroom the defense attorney tried to make the words "animal rights people" or "animal right activists", into a dirty word. This bothers me, I always believed I was for animal rights, but I definitely love my meat. I truly believe there can be humane ways to do this. I hate to see the country so divided on this, and it reminds me of the problems we have with puppy mills, you can raise conditions and be more humane, and still be allowed to breed.

I was glad to see in the ending credits, it said that the practice of penning the pregnant pigs in small cages side by side and not allowing them to move for months was outlawed in 2 states, Arizona, and California.

[Nikki+2]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

I was glad to see in the ending credits, it said that the practice of penning the pregnant pigs in small cages side by side and not allowing them to move for months was outlawed in 2 states, Arizona, and California.

Gestation crates are also illegal in FL. I had no idea how many states they are still legal in. That is horrifying.

[Nikki+2]

I just found this ARFF - Florida's historic ban on gestation crates

Since 2002, three states have followed Florida in banning gestation crates. The intensive confinement of pregnant pigs was banned in 2006 in Arizona after a ballot initiative effort. In 2007, the governor of Oregon signed a measure prohibiting gestation crates. In 2008, Colorado's governor signed into state law a ban on gestation crates.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by Nikki+2

Gestation crates are also illegal in FL. I had no idea how many states they are still legal in. That is horrifying.

Is that what they're called? The ending credits were hard to read but I reread it and it said that that in Nov, 2008, California banned the practice of housing pigs poultry and veal calves in confining pens and cages. Similar measures had been passed in Florida and Arizona. I had read about veal years ago, and I refused to buy it for this reason.

When I saw this, it really made me sick; I can't believe people think this is ok. I think anyone who thinks it's ok should watch the first part of the film. I believe humans know the difference between humane and inhumane, I really think we can feel it. I understand that you have to be tough to be a farmer, but, this goes so far beyond that.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by Nikki+2

I just found this ARFF - Florida's historic ban on gestation crates

Since 2002, three states have followed Florida in banning gestation crates. The intensive confinement of pregnant pigs was banned in 2006 in Arizona after a ballot initiative effort. In 2007, the governor of Oregon signed a measure prohibiting gestation crates. In 2008, Colorado's governor signed into state law a ban on gestation crates.

Lol, the film seems to credit CA with starting this, but I guess it's just the wording. Four down and 46 more to go!

[Wylie's Mom]

I watched the whole thing and have been meaning to post about it, but ugh...it's just hard sometimes after seeing all of that.

Nancy, you missed what I thought was the absolute *worst* part of the footage. I'm going to describe it, not bc I'm trying to be morbid or graphic - but bc it was *the* piece of footage that confirmed to me that our current anti-cruelty laws are not well defined and are archaic. If you don't want to, don't read what I'm going to describe next...

Some of the baby piglets are not considered "good enough" to...continue...with life - often, they're considered too skinny and they are called "Skinnies". The farm owner's son, who was just sick imo, took this baby Skinny by the back 2 legs, and swung it up into the air in a circle and coming down hard so that its head hit the side of a table - trying to kill it. Without checking to see if he was successful, he tossed the piglet (about the size of a large yorkie) into a white bucket and walked off. "Pete", the investigator, waited some minutes and then walked over to the bucket and pointed his hidden camera into the bucket. The baby piglet was curled in the bottom of the bucket, twitching/convulsing - still alive. He was left there dying, in the bottom of that bucket of filth.

Next, the owner's son, with a smirk on his face (bc someone made a comment that maybe there was a better way to kill the piglets) - grabbed a hammer. He said he was going outside to bash-in the other piglets' heads with that hammer. They didn't show this footage, if there was any.

Even more upsetting, it is LEGAL to bash-in the head of a baby piglet to kill it. There were no charges brought for that footage, even though the baby was still ALIVE. I don't get that part at all. This showed me that our cruelty laws are absolutely outdated and ineffective as written -- they ENABLE cruelty.

Now for the "downed hog" - that is when a hog is sick and probably will die without vet care. NO vet care was provided. They moved these hogs into a "dying room" (basically) and just left them there - not providing ANY food or water. They would also sometimes let in healthy hogs, who would then CANNIBALIZE the downed/sick/dying hogs. They showed this on film.

Most confounding on that last part is that, even though it seemed, by LAW, that you MUST provide food/water - the charges against Ken Wiles (owner) for cruelty related to not providing these basics were given the verdict of not guilty.

There is so much more - including the disgusting enjoyment by the worker when they were hanging the hogs to kill them. They just stood around and watched these hanging, suffocating, flailing animals - some of them laughing afterward/during.

I fully understand that not all farms are like this - I get that; but many of them are - even the very farmers who were there to support the hog farmer said so on film - that it's "just the way it is".

Well for me, once again - it just proved beyond a doubt that "the way it is" just isn't good enough.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

I watched the whole thing and have been meaning to post about it, but ugh...it's just hard sometimes after seeing all of that.

Nancy, you missed what I thought was the absolute *worst* part of the footage. I'm going to describe it, not bc I'm trying to be morbid or graphic - but bc it was *the* piece of footage that confirmed to me that our current anti-cruelty laws are not well defined and are archaic. If you don't want to, don't read what I'm going to describe next...

Some of the baby piglets are not considered "good enough" to...continue...with life - often, they're considered too skinny and they are called "Skinnies". The farm owner's son, who was just sick imo, took this baby Skinny by the back 2 legs, and swung it up into the air in a circle and coming down hard so that its head hit the side of a table - trying to kill it. Without checking to see if he was successful, he tossed the piglet (about the size of a large yorkie) into a white bucket and walked off. "Pete", the investigator, waited some minutes and then walked over to the bucket and pointed his hidden camera into the bucket. The baby piglet was curled in the bottom of the bucket, twitching/convulsing - still alive. He was left there dying, in the bottom of that bucket of filth.

Next, the owner's son, with a smirk on his face (bc someone made a comment that maybe there was a better way to kill the piglets) - grabbed a hammer. He said he was going outside to bash-in the other piglets' heads with that hammer. They didn't show this footage, if there was any.

Even more upsetting, it is LEGAL to bash-in the head of a baby piglet to kill it. There were no charges brought for that footage, even though the baby was still ALIVE. I don't get that part at all. This showed me that our cruelty laws are absolutely outdated and ineffective as written -- they ENABLE cruelty.

Now for the "downed hog" - that is when a hog is sick and probably will die without vet care. NO vet care was provided. They moved these hogs into a "dying room" (basically) and just left them there - not providing ANY food or water. They would also sometimes let in healthy hogs, who would then CANNIBALIZE the downed/sick/dying hogs. They showed this on film.

Most confounding on that last part is that, even though it seemed, by LAW, that you MUST provide food/water - the charges against Ken Wiles (owner) for cruelty related to not providing these basics were given the verdict of not guilty.

There is so much more - including the disgusting enjoyment by the worker when they were hanging the hogs to kill them. They just stood around and watched these hanging, suffocating, flailing animals - some of them laughing afterward/during.

I fully understand that not all farms are like this - I get that; but many of them are - even the very farmers who were there to support the hog farmer said so on film - that it's "just the way it is".

Well for me, once again - it just proved beyond a doubt that "the way it is" just isn't good enough.

I don't know how you were able to watch it. This is so disturbing.

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

I don't know how you were able to watch it. This is so disturbing.

It was very hard, my whole body was just tense and I had my hand over my mouth almost the entire time. I don't know...I just had to see the outcome and whether or not our laws would work, and they didn't.

Also, "Pete" - BLESS HIS HEART - I felt I *had* to watch and witness what he went through capturing that footage. They did a short bio on him, and he is just one of my HEROES now. I don't know how he discharges these memories. What an amazing human being.

[Lou]

OMG,
I'm sitting here at work with tears streaming down my face. How can I justify eating meat after this?