Tyson Foods dumps pig farm after NBC shows company video of alleged abuse (warning - graphic)

[joeybee12]

The nation’s largest meat producer says it has terminated its contract with an Oklahoma farm after NBC News showed the company undercover video of workers on the farm kicking, hitting and throwing pigs and slamming piglets into the ground.

“We’re extremely disappointed by the mistreatment shown in the video and will not tolerate this kind of animal mishandling,” said Gary Mickelson, a spokesman for Tyson Foods. “We are immediately terminating our contract with this farmer and will take possession of the animals remaining on the farm.”

The owner of the farm said that the video showed "mistreatment" of animals and he had taken action of his own. “I was stunned that anyone could be that callous in their treatment of any animal," said Lonnie Herring. "After viewing the video, I immediately returned to my farm and terminated the employees seen in the video."

The video was shot by an activist from the animal rights group Mercy for Animals from mid-September to mid-October as he worked undercover as a farmhand at West Coast Farms, an Okfuskee County business that supplies pork products under contract to Tyson Foods. The advocacy group says the actions seen on video and witnessed by its investigator violate a state animal cruelty law, and are contrary to Tyson’s policies on the treatment of livestock.

http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/20/21534986-tyson-foods-dumps-pig-farm-after-nbc-shows-company-video-of-alleged-abuse?lite

Horrific, and I'm sure this isn't the only place where this happens.

[lpbk2713]

1. Just like rethuglicans.

They do whatever they want to do until they get caught.
Then maybe they do something about it.

[Blue Owl]

2. Factory farm abuse is among the most hideous and depressing things ever

[Berlum]

3. Meanwhile, Republicons are pimping Ag Gag laws in states every which way

...to make it illegal to report shit like this. If you see something evil going down, and report it, the Repubbies want to make sure YOU get arrested and locked up, while the Industrial Animal Farm goes merrily marching on...

GAGGED BY BIG AG (informative article from Mother Jones, linked below)


http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2013/06/ag-gag-laws-mowmar-farms