Compassion Over Killing has released shocking undercover video footage from its recent investigation at Central Valley Meat Company–a slaughterhouse in California and major meat supplier to the USDA’s National School Lunch Program and other federal food initiatives. The startling video shows “spent” dairy cows being heinously tortured and then suffering prolonged and painful deaths. After viewing the gruesome footage, the USDA shut down the facility, citing “egregious inhumane handling and treatment of livestock.” The investigation shows:
- Downed cows, unable to walk to the kill floor, shot in the head two, three, even four times, and workers often walking away while the animals continue to struggle and kick
- Some downed cows, who were still alive after being shot in the head, suffocated by workers who stood on their mouths and nostrils
- Cows being tortured–repeatedly hit, jabbed, electrically shocked, and sprayed with hot water–in a narrow chute leading to the kill floor. One cow was electrically shocked over 40 times
- Sick or injured cows being repeatedly shocked and workers pulling or lifting them by their tails in an attempt to force them to stand and walk
- Botched stunning of animals prior to slaughter–many cows were thrashing, kicking, and clearly still breathing after being shot in the head. Yet these animals were moved through the slaughter process onto a conveyor belt and then hoisted upside down by one leg
Watch the video footage here:
Most of the animals slaughtered at Central Valley Meat are so-called “spent” cows who are no longer profitable to the dairy industry. Numerous investigations by Mercy For Animals at dairy facilities across the country, including Willet Dairy in New York, Conklin Dairy in Ohio, and E6 Cattle Co. in Texas, have exposed egregious animal abuse from the moment baby calves are born and ripped from their mothers’ sides until they are so physically worn out from repeated pregnancies and constant milk production that they are sold for slaughter.
Although horrific cruelty and violence are standard practice in the dairy industry, caring consumers can help end the needless suffering of cows and other farmed animals by choosing any number of healthy and humane plant-based alternatives to milk, cheese, and ice cream. Visit ChooseVeg.com to learn more.
