PETA and Pork Groups Exchange Letters

US - A letter sent from three national pork groups to PETA last month asks the animal rights advocates for their trust in the aftermath of an animal welfare investigation at an Iowa farm.

5 November 2008

3 minute read

North America

In the letter dated October 24 to the president of the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), representatives of National Pork Board, National Pork Producers Council and American Association of Swine Veterinarians state that measures are taken to ensure the humane treatment of their pigs.

The letter states: "U.S. pork producers take the well-being of their animals very seriously. Indeed, providing humane and compassionate care for their pigs at every stage of life is one of the ethical principles to which producers adhere."

The pork groups also ask PETA not to single out Hormel Foods Corp. for hog abuse captured on an undercover video at an Iowa farm that is a Hormel supplier. PETA unveiled original footage of the abuse in September and last month provided additional footage showing a manager from the same farm abusing a crippled sow.

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"U.S. pork producers take the well-being of their animals very seriously. Indeed, providing humane and compassionate care for their pigs at every stage of life is one of the ethical principles to which producers adhere."

Statement in a letter from pork groups to PETA

The groups also asked PETA to release any additional evidence they may have of farm animal abuse.

"While your criticisms have been directed at Hormel Foods Corp., the issue of animal well-being involves farm animals raised and processed at thousands of operations. To single out one entity, in our opinion, belies your mission to protect all animals ... if PETA truly cares about animals, it will release without delay any evidence it now has of animal abuse on farms."

In a response letter dated Novembet 3, Daphna Nachminovitch, vice-president of PETA's Cruelty investigations Department, asks the pork groups for action.

"Condemning the fact that animals are being beaten, punched, dragged, shocked, kicked, sexually penetrated, stabbed, spray painted, deprived of food and water and improperly killed is, of course, an obvious position to take. But simply condemning the abuse does nothing to prevent it from happening again and again," the letter states.

Nachminovitch then asks the groups to adopt PETA's nine-point basic animal welfare plan, which consists of several measures to help prevent abuse, including termination of employees who abuse animals, protection for employee whistleblowers and a ban of all electric-shock devices.

Vice-president of PETA Bruce Friedrich said Monday (November 3) that PETA will follow up in about a week if they don't receive a response before then.