The HSUS Commends Md. Dept. of Agriculture for Action in Westminster Auction Investigation

Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, issued the following statement:

"We commend the Maryland Department of Agriculture for its careful investigation of animal abuse at the Westminster Livestock Auction, which investigators from The Humane Society of the United States uncovered last month.

The charges filed in this case demonstrate that mistreatment of sick and crippled cows at auctions is taken seriously in Maryland and will not be tolerated.

We are especially grateful to the state agency for taking immediate steps to revise its own procedures regarding livestock auctions, to ensure that the situation we found at Westminster is not repeated. Too often, the animals at auctions and other mid-points between farm and slaughter fall into regulatory limbo, but Maryland officials rightly recognize that consumers and animals deserve better."

Click here for more information on the HSUS investigation. Click here to view or download video from the investigation.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization — backed by 10.5 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty — On the web at humanesociety.org.