Tyson Foods has severed a contract with West Coast Farms in Okfuskee County, Oklahoma after Mercy for Animals filmed employees hitting, kicking, and throwing animals, sticking fingers in their eyes, and leaving piglets to die after being abused. One employee threw a bowling ball at an animal. The company is taking possession of the animals on the farm.
The National Pork Producers Council said the abuses “violate the high standards of the U.S. pork industry.” and said that authorities should investigate these incidents and bring charges against anyone who abused animals at this facility. The employees in the video have been fired by the farmer, who expressed outrage at his employees actions. But the undercover worker who filmed the video said he reported abuse to the owner three separate times and nothing was done.
Tyson is the nation’s largest meat producer. Gary Mickelson, spokesman for Tyson, said in a statement, “we’re extremely disappointed by the mistreatment shown in the video and will not tolerate this kind of animal mishandling. We are immediately terminating our contract with this farmer.” However, blunt force euthanasia is a common industry practice in the pork industry.
These videos may be outlawed as so-called “ag gag” laws are being passed into law around the country. States such as Iowa, Arkansas, Utah, Missouri, and South Carolina have signed these bills into law. The laws prohibit anyone from making undercover videos on factory farms. The Humane Society of the United States says that such laws keep Americans in the dark about abuses on factory farms. Public health, food safety, consumer, and environmental advocates all oppose ag gag laws.
There are people out there who are willing to get paid the minium wage to raise farm animals for food and wouldn’t subject the poor animals to such abuse, one only needs to hire them!! Good for Tyson for dropping this farm! There’s no excuse for this mistreatment of animals along the food chain process! I agree, these farms should be regulated!
I haven’t even seen the video and I’m outraged. If these farmers behave this way towards these animals, they should receive the same brutal mistreatment . What is wrong with some people? Is there no compassion anymore? And sencond of all if they mistreat these poor animals I seem to wonder how they treat there wives, or there significant other. I do beleive that these farms sould be regulated and they should also be carefully watched to see if these farm workers are abusing animals.