New York State Senate Committee Approves Ban on Downed Cattle

Action Happens on Same Day that USDA Announces Plans to Close Federal Downer Loophole

ALBANY, N.Y. — The Humane Society of the United States, the nation's largest animal protection organization with almost 800,000 supporters in the Empire State, applauds the New York State Senate Consumer Protection Committee for unanimously passing animal protection legislation today that will also safeguard the state's food supply. S. 7847, sponsored by Sen. Frank Padavan (R-11), would require all animals too sick or injured to walk to be immediately and humanely euthanized, and will also prevent these animals from entering the food supply. The bill will now be considered by the full Senate. Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal (D-67) introduced similar legislation, A. 10843, in the New York Assembly.

"Sick and crippled animals have been allowed into the food supply for too long, putting consumers at risk and subjecting injured and sick animals to needless torment. We applaud the Senate Consumer Protection Committee on passage of this legislation and strongly urge the full Senate to pass it," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS.

"We are delighted that this legislation moved through committee unanimously and we look forward to passing it in the Senate. It's a measure that is long overdue," said Sen. Padavan.

This action coincidentally occurred on the same day as a major announcement by the USDA of plans to close a loophole in current federal policy that prohibits downed cows from entering the food supply. Current USDA regulations allow cows who go down after their initial inspection to be slaughtered on a case-by-case basis. This loophole allows sick and crippled animals into the food supply, and contributed to the abuses recently documented by The HSUS at the Hallmark Meat Packing plant in Chino, California. The HSUS welcomed USDA's announcement and views the state and federal efforts as complementary.

The legislation in New York requires that downed cows are humanely euthanized and provides additional penalties and enforcement at the state level, making violations a misdemeanor under the state's penal law.

Timeline:

• Feb. 17, 2008—USDA announces recall of 143 million pounds of beef, the nation's largest recall to date, from Hallmark/Westland Meat Co.
• Feb. 15, 2008—San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael A. Ramos charges Daniel Ugarte Navarro with five felony counts under California's anti-cruelty statute and three misdemeanor counts alleging the use of a mechanical device to move "downer" cows, and a second worker, Jose Luis Sanchez, with three misdemeanors involving downers.
• Feb. 5, 2008—USDA announces it has pulled its inspectors and shut down the cattle slaughter plant that was the subject of an HSUS undercover investigation. USDA Undersecretary Dr. Richard Raymond cites "egregious violations of humane handling regulations" in pulling inspectors from the plant.
• Jan. 31, 2008—The HSUS urges schools in 36 states to stop serving Westland meat received through the National School Lunch Program.
• Jan. 30, 2008—USDA suspends Westland Meat Co. as a supplier to the National School Lunch Program and other federal nutrition programs, in response to the weeks-long HSUS investigation of the plant.
• Jan. 30, 2008—The HSUS reveals weeks-long investigation's findings of widespread mistreatment of nonambulatory dairy cows at a Hallmark Meat Packing Co., of Chino, California.
• July 13, 2007—USDA reverses course and alters federal regulations to permit some crippled cows to be slaughtered for human consumption.
• Jan. 12, 2004—USDA prohibits all downer cattle from being slaughtered for human consumption, in response to the first U.S. case of BSE discovered in Washington State.  

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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.