Ask Congress Committees - Please Work to Get Farmhands Proper Education to Avoid Animal Abuse

  • by: SUE LEE
  • recipient: Congress, Members of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees

Please sign and share this petition in an effort to get members of Congress, the House and Senate Agriculture elect some mandatory programs that will train farmhands and any farm workers on how to handle and care for animals in a humane manner that will avoid any animal abuse and cruelty. To frequently, farms hire workers that really do not have a passion for animals, treating them poorly. There needs to be some regulations implemented in Congress Laws that requires anyone who works with animals to be trained and educated on proper care.

Recent stories came to light about animal cruelty in farms such as the Tyson industry, with the video uncovered, clearly showing horrific actions by the workers. The footage shows brutal and harsh treatment of pigs in a barn-like facility. After warnings about the video, an apology was given from Tyson who promises to terminate its contract with that farm. Yes that worker was terminated but how can the country keep tabs on other farms and workers that handle animals?

We see scene after scene of workers performing acts of violence against pigs, with no sense of what the workers are trying to accomplish.Granted, the workers that are guilty receive poor pay, work long hours and work in a frightening pace of the factory line. Often times, they are solely Spanish speaking and endure harassment and abuse by their superiors. A great number of the workers are from outside of the U. S. and have undocumented status. Workers interviewed said superiors exploit their risk of deportation and unfamiliarity of the language to induce a constant fear, pushing longer hours and harsher conditions.

These conditions are no excuse for the abuse of the animals. Somehow, these workers are not trained to work with the animals and the superiors are not trained to be civil with their workers. They too must be educated on proper care of the farm animals in a humane manner so they can pass on their knowledge to those under them. Additionally, these superiors need to learn how to gain respect and stop treating these hard working farmhand abusively. What happened at Tyson, not to mention other farms needs to be treated as part of a dangerous trend.

The report of farm insubordination states that factory farms that supply our meat consumption fuel a vicious structure of worker exploitation. While their actions are not condonable, it is at least apparent that workers develop desensitization to killing in order to survive; the cruelty we see them exhibit towards the animals is an unfortunate but inevitable result of the structure of subordination that the workers are locked into. The Tyson video worked to close the farm and fire workers instead of working towards educating future workers in an effort to protect the animals in their care.

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is responsible for enforcing the Animal Welfare Act (AWA; 7 U.S.C. 2131 et seq.), which requires minimum standards of care for certain warm-blooded animals bred for commercial sale, used in research, transported commercially, or exhibited to the public, although this does not cover farm animals! Well, who does and how can we ensure their safe handling and keep?

Farm Animals Anti-Cruelty Act  (H.R. 6202) stated, “whoever, without justification, kills, mutilates, disfigures, tortures, or  intentionally causes an animal held for commercial use pain or suffering, or has responsibility for an animal held for commercial use and fails to provide food, water, shelter, and health care as is necessary to assure the animal’s health and well-being appropriate to the animal’s age and species,” is subject to penalties of up to one year in jail and/or $100,000 in fines. An organization known as The Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production (PCIFAP)  was also formed to conduct a comprehensive, fact-based and balanced examination of key aspects of the farm animal industry.

We need to encourage Congress Committees in the House and Senate Agriculture to implement a plan and program that will educate farm workers on the handling and care of the animals as a requirement and prerequisite as a farm hand. Everyone, including superiors should also be required in such training.I personally believe that all farm facilities need to have working cameras that will monitor the handling and care of the animals and the workers.

Please sign and share this petition in an effort to get members of Congress, the House and Senate Agriculture elect some mandatory programs that will train farmhands and any farm workers on how to handle and care for animals in a humane manner that will avoid any animal abuse and cruelty. To frequently, farms hire workers that really do not have a passion for animals, treating them poorly. There needs to be some regulations implemented in Congress Laws that requires anyone who works with animals to be trained and educated on proper care.

Congress, Members of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees - What goes on in farms is such a crucial situation and needs Federal Intervention in order to protect the animals for abuse and cruelty. Implement some laws and mandatory educational programs that will guarantee animals will be treated in a safe, humane manner or else workers and their superiors face consequences. Have working cameras installed in all farms that can be monitored by animal activists and officials to ensure proper treatment is carried out. The abuse of farm animals has got to stop! Please help these beings!

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