USDA claims Rabbits are Poultry? Then include Poultry in the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act
"A full-page ad in the July 28th, 2005 edition of The New York Times (sponsored by The Humane Farming Association, Animal Rights International, and the Animal Welfare Institute) notes that the US Department of Agriculture has classified rabbits as "poultry" to avoid including them under the 1958 Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, from which "poultry" are excluded."
A petition was started (for rabbits), back in 2005, but didn't obtain the needed 5,000 signatures, but less than 700. I would like to see some changes, its been 3 years and nothing has changed. If not now, then when?
And furthermore, there is no reason for "Poultry" to be excluded from this act. All animals, whether they be Cows, Pigs, Goats, Chickens or Rabbits deserve to be treated with humanity-its bad enough the way they're treated at the slaughterhouses, being confined to small areas, not even able to move around freely-at least give them some compassion when it comes time to slaughter them.
I just found updated information HSUS is trying to get "Poultry" covered under the Act-Please help by signing their petition as well.
https://community.hsus.org/campaign/petition_for_poultry
Heres where I obtained my information from for the video-
http://www.hfa.org/about/rabbits.pdf
http://www.rabbitproduction.com/Create_Change.html
http://www.alabamaears.org/rabbitsaspoultry.html
http://www.3bunnies.org/rabbits_as_chickens.htm
Rabbits Classified as Poultry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humane_Slaughter_Act
Humane Slaughter Act - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050808/NEWS/508080357/1024
http://www.goveg.com/government_hsa.asp
http://www.rabbitweb.net/purchase.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_punch
http://ars.sdstate.edu/animaliss/rabbits.html
"A full-page ad in the July 28th, 2005 edition of The New York Times (sponsored by The Humane Farming Association, Animal Rights International, and the Animal Welfare Institute) notes that the US Department of Agriculture has classified rabbits as "poultry" to avoid including them under the 1958 Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, from which "poultry" are excluded."
A petition was started (for rabbits), back in 2005, but didn't obtain the needed 5,000 signatures, but less than 700. I would like to see some changes, its been 3 years and nothing has changed. If not now, then when?
And furthermore, there is no reason for "Poultry" to be excluded from this act. All animals, whether they be Cows, Pigs, Goats, Chickens or Rabbits deserve to be treated with humanity-its bad enough the way they're treated at the slaughterhouses, being confined to small areas, not even able to move around freely-at least give them some compassion when it comes time to slaughter them.
I just found updated information HSUS is trying to get "Poultry" covered under the Act-Please help by signing their petition as well.
https://community.hsus.org/campaign/petition_for_poultry
Heres where I obtained my information from for the video-
http://www.hfa.org/about/rabbits.pdf
http://www.rabbitproduction.com/Create_Change.html
http://www.alabamaears.org/rabbitsaspoultry.html
http://www.3bunnies.org/rabbits_as_chickens.htm
Rabbits Classified as Poultry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humane_Slaughter_Act
Humane Slaughter Act - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050808/NEWS/508080357/1024
http://www.goveg.com/government_hsa.asp
http://www.rabbitweb.net/purchase.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_punch
http://ars.sdstate.edu/animaliss/rabbits.html
They were reclassified to exclude them from the 1958 Humane Method of Slaughters Act. We also would like "Poultry" to be included in the act, as it is not humane to kill any animal while they are fully conscious. This law was designed originally to show compassion for animals, and to exclude a certain group of animals is just incomprehensible. All animals deserve to be treated humanely and deserve to at least be killed with compassion.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.
Rabbits are not poultry.. They did not hatch from an egg they are "mammals" and so are we as humans. No matter what animal species, size, shape or form "ALL" should be treated humanely!
Rabbits deserve the same rights and protection as other animals. The conditions these rabbits are subjected to are horrendous and simply appalling. Does not ever creature not deserve respect and dignity?
Clearly, "poultry" needs to be appropriately defined.
Rabbits are not poultry, and their classification as such is a blatant attempt to bypass government regulations. Furthermore, the idea that not animals deserve to be treated humanely is ignorant and obviously wrong.
rabbits should be concidered companion animals protected by usda.poultry? i dont think so.
I have owned rabbits as pets and they are intelligent, feeling little creatures. Not mandating humane practices violates both our trust as wardens of the environment and is a stain on our collective conscience as a civilized society. Please provide rabbits at least the minimum protections against cruel and inhumane treatment afforded other animals.
Rabbits or Poultry - animal slaughter is wrong. Go Vegan!
If rabbits are poultry then homo sapiens are crocodiles
We should always be looking at reducing the suffering of any living being. To exclude any animal from humane treatment makes us no better than cold-blooded murderers.
As a child, I always had rabbits as pets! rabbits are on earth to be looked after...not skinned alive or slaughtered....there's enough animals being killed for meat as it is! RABBITS ARE PETS SO LEAVE THEM THE HELL ALONE!!!
I am the owner of 5 house rabbits and I find that the use of rabbit meat is just as barbaric as the use of horse meat. Please stop this practice in America. Rabbits are not chickens. Rabbits are not a mian food source for America either.
ANY animal slaughtered in the USA should have protection from suffering. Please help make this a reality.
Imagine if you were a bunny: how would you want to be treated?
There is no doubt that animals - rabbits included - feel pain, experience fear, and are capable of sorrow and loss. Please treat them as humanely as possible.
Would YOU like to be slaughtered alive?
I find this totally disgusting. No one should be eating rabbits; they're pets.
We experienced the most cruel form of animal cruelty... ANIMAL NEGLECT... where our Pet Bunny (Bunny was Her Name)... was left to bleed to death, for more then three hours, in a cold waiting room at the ONLY 24-hour veterinary emergency hospital in the city of Toronto, Canada. Needless to say, hospital staff and doctors did not believe that she desrved the same level of medical critical care and treatment; they did not classify 'Bunny' as a companion animal, but rather a research or lab animal. If only some veterinarians cared enough she would have been alive, happy and hopping, and continuously loved by her mommy (me) and the rest of the family. Please let's stop neglecting Bunnies and Rabbits as companion animals and give them the Love and Compassion deserved. Let's stop Animal Neglect, TODAY!!!
There should be a law that strictly deals with rabbits. They deserve the right to be treated in a humane manner without brutality.
Life deserves respect and dignity, no matter what form it takes. If we are going to kill them, kill then in a humane way!
Its unbelieveable that this level of ignorance still exists at this day in age. As the mother of 3, and one recently passed rabbit, I can honestly say I would rather go blind then see any harm come to them. Losing a bunny was like losing a child, and it took the strength of my 3 boys to pull me through. They depend on me. They are not pets. They are FAMILY.
Animal Welfare Act is a joke, so is the Humane Slaughter Act. How can a country be held to ransom by its farmers??
Please, please stop this cruelty. These beautiful creatures cannot speak for themselves. The only sounds they can make are made when they are hurting. Why aren't they treated humanely? Please start to do so and give them good homes and stop slaughtering them for food and fur.
All sentient creatures deserve humane treatment, in life as well as in death. It is our duty as human beings to provide humane treatment to those under our care.
Any species if raised for meat production should be raised humanely as well as butchered humanely. I do not believe there should be any exception to humane treatment for any species.
Please include rabbits and poultry in the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act. All animals are deserving of humane treatment and should be protected from needless suffering. Please show leadership and have compassion on these livestock animals. Sincerely, Amy Ramnaraine, California
Rabbits are very sensitive and intelligent mammals. Under no circumstance can they be treated in the dispicable way we raise poultry. This new classification is extremely condecending to these lovely beings.
THE SHAME OF HUMANS Is the world a beautiful place to live? Maybe if you are not born one of these animials. In every aspect, humans use animals for greed which result in horrifying acts of cruelty. Instead of knowledge being used to make a better world, it is used for greed. In a world full of problems the fight for animals is on the bottom of the list. It is an important part of the problems in the world, and we who care should not be ashamed to ask for compassion. Having no compassion or respect for animals creates the same for people. We should be proud to be human beings. I am not proud, I am ashamed, ashamed of the people who condone unimaginable heartless cruelty every minute of the day. I am horrified By and Of the people who perform these actions and feel nothing when torturing a living creature until its death. I am disgraced by those who pretend because it is out of sight, it does not exist and I am truly sickened by the people who endorse & buy fur products, creating a demand for it. Most of all I am broken hearted by the accepted & allowed practice of cruelty to animals in all walks of life. The list is endless, fur, trapping, animal testing, slaughter, dog fighting, vivisection, hunting, seals etc, etc, etc. Fact; there is no need to wear fur, there is even less need or excuse to torture any animal. I struggle every day to be happy when in fact, I should be happy because I am blessed, instead I am ashamed and my heart is full of sadness. What is a humane way to be put to death? I now understand the meaning of the kill shelters named "Humane Society"......and that is even hard to take when there are alternatives. People who do not suffer because of cruelty towards helpless children, animals or humans cease to be a man, or woman, as we all share in this burden. God’s animals were not intended to be tortured or abused, just as his children or people were not. I am sure God's heart is as broken as mine.
i concur with the comments of petitioner number 999 from Canada
