Expert: Tina Volpe - 3/12/2009

Question
QUESTION: At my school we're writing congressional hearing papers on topics of our choice. I did mine on animal rights for non-essential clothing and food. I was wondering what things I should know for this topic. If you could get back to me, that would be great.
         --Megan

ANSWER: Megan,

If you could be a little more specific, that would be helpful.  The  range between clothing and food is huge and each topic would require a more specific question.  Are we talking about abuses to animals raised for these two items?  

If so, even that is a difficult one to answer - chickens are the most abused animals in the food chain.  Their are no-existing laws to protect chickens in the humane slaughter act.  The numbers of chickens killed, and thrown away are way beyond any other animal raised for food.  

Pigs - are incredibly intelligent beings, with their own needs and desires, and emotions.  They are treated like commodities and not even considered as living breathing animals.  

Cows are treated the horribly.  If you saw the recent news on the Westland/Hallmark meat packing company, it was horrific, not to mention dangerous - 140+million pounds of beef recalled.  Here is the CNN article:  http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/02/17/beef.recall/index.html

There is so much more to say - esp about animals raised for fur.  However, here is a great article about fur animals:  http://www.furisdead.com/

If you need/want more specifics, please, just ask.  

Nobody should be wearing fur, or eating animals.  

Thanks!
Tina Volpe

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The info. you just gave me is great. We're trying to enforce stricter laws on animal cruelty in our mock congressional hearing. Such as better housing of the animals and they should put the animals down before they skin them. Not cruelly either. What are some stories directly in the U.S. about animal cruelty that will help us wane the judges decisions? What kinds of animals should we focus on?
         Thanks,
         Megan

Answer
This is great Megan - I'm so glad you did yours on amimal rights!  Everyone should know more about this.  

Ok, let's see if I can help.  First - there are no humane laws in effect for chickens who are known to be kind, intelligent, loving and mothering little birds.  One man gave a chicken 3 duck eggs to hatch, and she knew these were not chickens, but she took to task and brought the ducks to a pond so they could swim, and find the delicious little treats they find to eat near the water.  These animals are instinctually intelligent.  Anyway, they are crammed into pens not much larger than a letter sized paper at least 5-7 hens (battery cages), and cannot move or stretch their wings. They are de-beaked because when living in this type of environment, they go insane and peck at each other, causing damage to the 'meat'.  Debeaking is similar to cutting your fingernail off at the quick.  It's very painful.  Birds live stacked on top of one another, living in feces, with other birds who have died because they cannot reach water/food.... and it gets worse when they leave for slaughter.  They are packed on trucks, in freezing and/or hot weather, no water or food for days, and then hung up by one leg to get their necks slit, alive.  It's the most horrifying thing I've ever seen.  Watch Earthlings : http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6361872964130308142
for a more detailed description of chickens.  

The same treatment goes for pigs and cows, sheep and ducks/geese.  Please see the attached video.  It is well worth watching, and you will have ALL the ammo you need.  

If you have any further questions, after watching this video, please let me know!  There is a shorter video, just on the plight of food animals titled:  Meet your Meat - which is good, but not as good as Earthlings. Here is the link:  ttp://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-513747926833909134&ei=lFq5SfT2PKL8qAOmn_zbAQ&q=meet+your+meat

Good luck I hope you win your case!

With love for all,
Tina Volpe