Another PETA Victory: First-Ever Felony Charges of Cruelty to Factory-Farmed Birds

[Karmadillo]

http://blog.peta.org/archives/2009/02/aviagen_update.php

In a huge victory for animals, a grand jury has issued 19 indictments for cruelty to animals against three former employees of Aviagen Turkeys, Inc. And it gets better—11 of the indictments are on felony charges. This marks the first time in U.S. history that factory-farm employees have faced felony cruelty-to-animals charges for abusing birds.

These indictments are the result of PETA's undercover investigation at Aviagen's factory farms in West Virginia, which uncovered workers stomping, kicking, throwing, and killing turkeys in unimaginably cruel ways. Our investigator's video footage was seen by the West Virginia State Police, whose investigator then conducted his own prompt and thorough investigation, leading to these indictments in Greenbrier County. Next stop: Monroe County, where we anticipate additional charges to be filed for similar acts committed there.

It's great to see the authorities take this case seriously. But Aviagen itself? Not so much.

As you may recall, a couple of weeks back, a whistleblower told us that some of the turkey torturers were still employed by Aviagen, despite the company's promise to fire all the workers caught violating its purported animal-welfare policies. PETA's letter to the company president about this has gone unanswered. And Aviagen has refused to give any specific details about the actions it claims to have taken. So, as far as we can tell, Aviagen hasn't yet implemented even one of the seven improvements we suggested to them. If you're as riled about this as we are, please take a minute to ask Aviagen executives to stop sitting on their thumbs and take some specific steps toward preventing the continued torture of birds in the company's sheds.

more...

[flvegan]

1. In early!

:popcorn:

Keywords to look for: whackjob, terrorist, "mmm...meat"...

[Maru Kitteh]

14. OMG flvegan - HOW COULD YOU?

leave out

"I didn't climb to the top of the food chain.... BLAH BLAH BLAH"
"Vegetarian = bad hunter"
"Tasty animals"

What is your favorite topping on popcorn? I found this awesome Greek seasoning I just loooove. :popcorn:

[flvegan]

16. I had to abandon

some of the low-level fruit to still get that first response. I'd have also added (in addition to yours) something incorrect about my teeth and anatomy, how PETA kills dogs and wants to take your pets away to execute them, and how hypocritical it is for some PETAn to use diabetic medicine.

I like to grind my own Alessi sea salt on my popcorn, but allegedly there's a vegan "bacon" bits topping that is excellent.

[Skip Intro]

20. Oh Yeah, it's a well known fact that Peta wants to take your pets away and execute them.

Pet Executing Taking Awayers is what PETA really stands for.

Never, never forget it.

There's a commemorative coin or something...

[flvegan]

21. On the back of that coin

there IS a bonafide (by the CCF) engraving of Ingrid Newkirk with her foot on Lassie's throat pulling the trigger of a shotgun. It's graphic, but you know how it is.

[Skip Intro]

22. Yes, it comes with a certificate of authenticity!

:rofl:

[LeftyMom]

24. Hickory flavored Bacon Salt. Only the hickory flavor, the others have dairy in them.

Chipotle Cayenne Parma is really good on popcorn too.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

39. I just finished a bag of popcorn

I must have psychically sensed this thread.

[1620rock]

2. God bless PETA.

[Upton]

3. Good for PETA

despite the naysayers, some of which are here at DU, PETA remains a worthy organization.

[remoulade]

10. Tasty animals, yup.

:D

[Maru Kitteh]

25. Woooooo Hooooooo we have our FIRST INGNARANT klee-shay in the thread! YOU WIN

50% of one pair of rainbow overalls, but only if you past this test. Your cousin's mother is his A)Mother B)Relative C)None of the above

[ZombieNixon]

4. 95% of what PETA does, I can't bring myself to support.

This is in the 5%. Good for them, and I love my poultry.

[Maru Kitteh]

5. GOOD, Good for PETA, good for decent humanity, and a little better for the birds.

[Marrah_G]

6. I'm very glad these people will be put on trial

Doesn't make Peta any less nutty.

[Fleshdancer]

7. Good job PETA!

:applause:

[Skip Intro]

8. HELL. FUCKING. YES! THANK YOU PETA! (I expect PETA haters to be speechless on this. I'll enjoy it.)

[alexandria]

17. Yummy Turkey

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

40. Wow, something NOT homophobic from you

But still obnoxious.

[yewberry]

43. *Pfffft*

Shit, girl, I sprayed my wine all over the place. Scared the bird and the dog, too.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

44. Thank you

I've been on a roll today.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

45. You are being unfair with alexandria. He posts on a variety of subjects. Do a search by author. -nt

[AndrewP]

42. I agree. PETA rocks.

[Arugula Latte]

9. Wonderful.

Oh, and the anti-PETA people here can kiss my ass.

[remoulade]

11. Could you move your nose over just an inch or 2?

Thanks! :D

[alittlelark]

12. THIS is what PETA should focus on.... they do it soo well!

The fringe stuff seems orchestrated by a 'pro industrial meat' think tank to make them seem fringe and off-base.

[rpannier]

13. recommend

[BlooInBloo]

15. :) If you swing enough, you're bound to get a hit sooner or later.

[aikoaiko]

18. If only PETA would stick to exposes instead of stupid stunts and propoganda

This type of work even a carnivore can appreciate and applaud.

I'm getting a turkey sandwich tomorrow in honor of their victory.

[Seldona]

19. Glad to see laws finally being enforced.

Hopefully the industry gets the idea and makes the appropriate changes, . Some of what I have seen and read is beyond inhuman.

[petronius]

23. Great, so now turkeys are more important than human children!? Thanks, PETA-freaks!

:grr:



:silly:

[Critters2]

30. What?! No one has made that claim.

Or are you capable of only caring about one species at a time?

[petronius]

32. It was intended to be humor, in the vein of the automatic PETA-bashes

that typically appear (my assumption was that the complete non sequitur would make that obvious).

Perhaps I should have put more space between the silly-smiley and my sig? :shrug:

[Critters2]

33. Sorry. I'm used to seeing that kind of bs in these threads.

That type is so humorless--or maybe I am--that I missed the humor. My bad. :hi:

[petronius]

34. Sadly, it's really difficult to go so far beyond those types of posts that

the lack of seriousness becomes obvious. And as soon as you do launch a joke into complete nutjob territory, some basher crawls out of the woodwork to agree with you. :)

Hope you're having a good evening/night/morning... :hi:

[AndrewP]

41. self delete

[defendandprotect]

26. It's impossible to ignore abuse of animals, especially when you understand . .

that connection to abuse of human beings --

[defendandprotect]

27. Congratulations PETA and all those who stand against animal cruelty . .

[Blue_Tires]

28. k+r

[BrightKnight]

29. PETA actually gets it right sometimes.

I don't necessarily have a problem with factory farms. There is a right and wrong way to do it.

[Danger Mouse]

31. PETA really does some good from time to time.

Good on them.
...Still doesn't change my overall opinion of them...but they're a decent group of well-intentioned people.

[bertman]

35. Did they really think Aviagen would FIRE those workers? After all, it takes time and money

to train good employees to stomp, kick, throw, and kill turkeys in unimaginably cruel ways. Gotta keep those fat, feathered fuckers in line or they might run all over the hired help.

[LanternWaste]

36. Good for PETA!!!

Good for PETA!!!

A victory. A small victory for dignity, but a victory nonetheless.

[byronius]

37. Well-done.

To the whole 'tasty animals' and 'yummy turkey' crew: The Proudly Insensitive are many; they make good concentration-camp guards and Republicans. It's important to this creed that there be no spiritual element to life whatsoever, which may indeed be true; you should cling to this nihilist existentialism tightly, 'cause if there is something else going on, the Proudly Insensitive are all well and truly fucked.

[crimsonblue]

38. I'm glad about this...

stomped on chickens just don't taste right. I prefer mine to be squished in vises.