HSUS Whistleblower Sheds Light on Shady Tactics

It's no secret that I'm not a HSUS super-fan. For evidence, look no further. Their gross interpretation of animal welfare and the haughty assumption that all farmers and ranchers are animal abusers is enough to make me gag.

Photo credit: National Hog Farmer

Well, apparently I'm not the only person who is tired of HSUS' bullcrap tactics - a former undercover videographer for the animal rights group is coming forward to speak the truth and share what really happens at HSUS.

According to an interview with HumaneWatch, directors at HSUS were guilty of lying, encouraging undercover videographers to ignore animal welfare and even accusing all farmers/ranchers of being animal abusers.

Here is an excerpt of the interview, courtesy of Drovers CattleNetwork:

• Guilty of something: “Day one of training, I was basically told every single farm is doing something illegal.”
• Twisting words, splitting hairs and downright lying: “Let’s say that I went to a livestock auction and there’s a small calf running around. And let’s say this calf falls over.  If I’m filming this and send this in a report, I would say, “Calf fell over due to its own momentum.”  Mary Beth [Sweetland, HSUS Director of Investigations,] would correct that and say, “Could be malnourished or kept in hobbles the whole time.” I wouldn’t be allowed to draw something that I could see plain as day in context.”
• Recording more important than reporting: “I was never told to contact law enforcement. If you see a crime, stop that crime. Don’t wait. How many other animals must be abused down the line to accomplish this? That seems like basic, common sense.”

I'm not really surprised by any of this - are you?!

If you want to see the full video click here. You can also read more of the interview where this whistleblower explains how his eyes were truly opened to HSUS' tactics and motives and how he has changed his mind on gestation stalls.

No bones about it folks, HSUS doesn't care about animal welfare. The massive lobbyist organization cares about $$ and abolishing animal agriculture.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

No Ag Gagging in Florida

Transparency is important in agriculture. By being transparent and opening our doors, I believe we can continue to narrow the urban consumer-rural producer gap. When we allow people to see our farms, we can put to rest any ill begotten ideas they have about agriculture production.

image from here 

That's why I'm thrilled that Florida has turned down the "Ag Gag" legislation which, if passed, would have made any person photographing or videotaping on a farm subject a person to criminal prosecution and imprisonment. This bill was aimed at getting rid of undercover animal rights videographers whose sole reason for employment was to catch bad examples in the act instead of actually helping the animals. But that's for a different day.

While I realize that the bill and it's proponents had farmers' best interests at heart, what kind of message would this bill have sent to the public? We're saying that agriculture has something to hide - which we most certainly do not.

The best way to provide great examples to the public is to do the right thing - be outstanding stewards of our land and animals. An additional option would be to conduct background checks and double-check employment history of all new farm employees. That's a management tactic that should probably already be in action, truth be told.

Iowa is debating the same bill, House File 589, and I sincerely hope it doesn't pass. We need to send a message to the public that we encourage transparency and closing our doors to photos and videos isn't the way to do that. I fear the repercussions would be far outweigh the benefits of this bill.

What are your thoughts?

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

MFA - Report Animal Cruelty ASAP not ASACP

ASACP meaning - as soon as conveniently possible.

Yet another animal cruelty video has been released by Mercy For Animals (MFA). Again, I am outraged at the treatment of the pigs in this video and there is absolutely no excuse for this type of treatment. I feel the need to draw attention to some key points that need to be made.

1 - This is NOT how all farm animals are treated. Unfortunately, one bad apple provides a horrible example for the rest of the industry. Videographers don't focus on well run farms - they prey on farms such as the one featured in the video.
2 - Farmers and ranchers have a vested interest in the health and wellbeing of their animals. Producing a safe, healthy product in a humane fashion with low-stress practices is the number one priority.
3 - I find it extrememly frustrating that this footage has been sitting around for at least three weeks before being released this week. How do I know this? A 'Note' that was posted on Facebook about three weeks ago clued me in that something was going to be released soon (the note has since been taken down and I will not reveal it's source/author).

If videographers find animal cruelty - they should report it immediately. Not when it is convenient to their timeline or fundraising efforts. How many animals continued to be abused between the time the footage was collected and the day the video was released? The animal cruelty is abominable but standing by and doing nothing, and allowing that type of treatment to continue is just as abominable.

What are your thoughts on the issue? Again - I in no way condone animal cruelty and I am appalled at the images in the video, however, I feel that the videographers, undercover or not, should have reported the cruelty much more quickly than seen in this case.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

image from here