by Stephen Hedges
RENO, Nev. – Just a week on the job, Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer criticized the Humane Society of the United States for failing to notify his department earlier about animal abuse it videotaped last fall at a California meatpacking plant.
Schafer, speaking to a cattle group here, condemned the treatment of the dairy cattle shown on the undercover video taken at a Hallmark Meat Packing Co. plant in Chino, Calif.
But Schafer also said that, "The Humane Society, since late October, has been willing to let animals suffer out there," rather than notify USDA immediately of the abuses.
Humane Society president and CEO Wayne Pacelle called Schafer's statement, "an outrageous and astonishing comment."
"It's USDA's responsibility to prevent his abuse," Pacelle said. "USDA personnel were on site and they are the ones who are paid with American tax dollars to prevent this appalling cruelty."
Pacelle said that Schafer's suggestion that the Humane Society delayed reporting the abuses is flawed. The group filmed the cattle abuse in late October and November, he said, and continued its undercover investigation inside the plant until mid-December, when it took its findings to the local district attorney.
That prosecutor, he said, advised the group not to release the video publicly while a criminal investigation was underway. The group finally decided to go public, Pacelle said, when the prosecutor's office seemed to be taking too long to act.
Pacelle said that Schafer's office was also given a chronology of the Humane Society's investigation.
Some of the meat from the Chino plant made its way into the national school lunch program.
Schafer, speaking to the National Cattlement's Beef Association conference here, noted that the video scandal erupted in his first days in office. He said he ordered a review of the plant's practices and an inspector general's investigation of the company. He said that investigation has already uncovered violations of federal regulations. That drew applause from those attending the conference.
Schafer did not discuss the role of the USDA inspectors in the plant.
Pacelle said that Schafer's criticism of the Humane Society is an attempt, "to shift the blame that shows it was their failure at the plant to adequately monitor the humane handling of these cows.
"It was only because of our investigation,'' Pacelle said, "our long term investigation at high risk, that this issue was brought to light."
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Comments
When Bush was asked about this he said: America does not torture.
Posted by: bill r. | February 9, 2008 8:15 AM
Not a nice way to treat the 'surrogate mother of the human race'.
BTW, the chicken is our 'favorite aunt'.
Posted by: C.Morris | February 9, 2008 8:57 AM
That's because HSUS isn't actually interested in animal welfare - look at their leadership, look at their track record. Pretty shocking stuff. Oh yeah - and it's not a charity, if that's what you thought.
The more you know about Wayne Pacelle, the worse they look.
Posted by: Tom J | February 9, 2008 1:18 PM
I am glad that I don't eat meat and I am perfectly healthy and happy. Americans in general are against cruelty to animals and would protect the underdogs, weak and helpless ones. Look at the number of pets in the households. We love our animals. But Meat industry is a dirty and secretive business. They show "Happy cows come from California" commercials which are a blatant lie. We also prefer to maintain good hygiene and as the undercover video shows, the meat processing is the most unhygienic ways of obtaining food. Hopefully, over time more Americans will take time to actually look at the videos of where their meat and chicken and turkey come from and realize the suffering of those innocent animals and find much better and healthier food alternatives.
Posted by: John | February 9, 2008 9:14 PM
John...Don't stop there. Maybe they should look at the number of cats and dogs that are put to death every year at their own spca. Most because these same people refuse to spay or neuter their pets.
Posted by: bill r. | February 10, 2008 8:03 AM
This problem is pervasive. Please note also that the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize winning UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change put out a report that shows rearing cattle produces more greenhouse gases than driving cars (see Livestock's Long Shadow--Environmental Issues and Options). Rain forest is being destroyed for cattle raising. Decreasing your meat consumption (by eating vegetarian one day per week to begin) or giving it up altogether is a very important step you can personally take to curb global climate change. Re your own health, you might also read John Robbins (the would-have-been inheritor of the ice cream fortune). Our health in wealthier countries is being compromised by our meat-eating, and not just with tainted meat. Eating low on the food chain can prevent high blood pressure, high cholesterol, reduce risks for cancer, and much more.
Posted by: K | February 10, 2008 7:24 PM
If Schafer's upset at HSUS criticizm now, what's he going to do when/if they "puppy mill" him, provide USDA OIG reports demonstrate AG routinely ignores AWAct violations, unlic breeders in this multi billion industry HSUS has keep records on for decades.
Posted by: Scot McNeal | February 11, 2008 3:27 PM
This is so typical of HSUS. They'd rather let animals suffer so they can wait to get a "good story" than to end the suffering as soon as possible.
HSUS is all about gathering up sad pictures so they can use them to solicit donations which they use, not to end animal suffering, but to promote their radical vegan agenda. They've fooled the public for a long time but the word about them is getting out now.
Posted by: Geraldine Clarke | February 12, 2008 10:47 PM
There's an elephant in the room I've seen no one discuss: The fact that ANY footage of alleged animal cruelty produced for the media by ANY branch of the Veganist Jihad should be viewed as intrinsically suspect, because of their fine upstanding tradition of lying about everything which doesn't support their psychotic little "cause".
Posted by: BadKarma | February 13, 2008 5:05 AM