2008 Victory: Investigation to Spur USDA Downer Ban |
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December 18, 2008
In the latest installment of major victories for animals in 2008, we look back to January, when an HSUS investigation focused the nation on inhumane slaughter practices. The HSUS has been committed to addressing the problem of downers for more than a decade.
Wayne Pacelle, May 20, 2008:
USDA did what it had to do today. It was a moral and economic imperative. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer announced that his agency would implement a no-downer policy for cattle in the United States. It is long-awaited but welcome news, and it's a direct reaction to the undercover hidden camera investigation The HSUS conducted at the Hallmark/Westland slaughter plant in Chino, Calif.
The Hallmark investigation—which probably ended up costing the meat industry and the federal government more than $1 billion—could not be ignored. It exposed major gaps in food safety and humane handling oversight, and a no-downer rule is where the policy reforms had to begin.
The decision was a hallmark moment in 2008—a year when your support meant not just improving the lives of farm animals, but of millions of other animals, too.
Watch our video to take stock of all the ways you helped changed the world this year.
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| See how you made a difference for animals in 2008. |
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Related Links
The HSUS Exposes More Appalling Abuses of Dairy Cows at Livestock Auction in New Undercover Investigation
Timeline: HSUS Investigations Expose National Downer Cow Abuses
