The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has proposed a scary new slaughter method for pigs that ramps up kill speed while slashing regulation. This high speed, reduced-inspection program, known as HIMP, shifts key inspection responsibilities to the slaughterhouses themselves, allowing animal abuse and food safety problems to go unmonitored. Under HIMP, 1,300 pigs are slaughtered each hour — about one every five seconds.
During the pilot program, Compassion Over Killing investigator Scott David worked undercover at Quality Pork Processing, an exclusive Hormel supplier, in Austin, Minnesota. What he encountered there was a shocking disregard for animal welfare and federal law.
This video features David recounting his experience, as well as horrific footage from inside the slaughterhouse:
David told Lady Freethinker, “I witnessed workers routinely taking shortcuts in humane handling in an effort to keep up with the faster-than-normal slaughter line speeds permitted under HIMP. I saw sick and injured animals, too weak to stand, roughly shoved out of pens to keep the lines moving.”
In one instance, a pig was not moving through the shoot fast enough, so slaughterhouse workers repeatedly jabbed the animal in the face with electric prods and beat him with rattle paddles. Eventually, they opened the doors on the side of the shoot to let the pig out. The animal started crawling away to flee, his back legs dragging behind him, and David realized they had been trying to force a paralyzed pig to the slaughter area.
In another instance, a pig regained consiousness in the shackles, and David’s coworker, who was training him at the time, turned to David and said, “If the USDA is around, they could shut us down.”
Under the Humane Slaughter of Livestock Regulations, which is federal law, animals are not allowed to be shackled or dragged unless completely unconscious.
“Some animals were dragged across the floor by a metal hook in their mouths before being properly stunned,” said David. “Some of these pigs likely went on to be scalded alive, as the workers didn’t always bother to stop the line to re-stun them.”
Not only does HIMP escalate animal cruelty, it puts the health of consumers and workers at risk. David recalls pigs covered in feces or pus-filled abscesses being slaughtered and processed for human consumption. Workers are prone to injury and stress under the pressure of the facility’s high operating speeds.
With this method of slaughter, the USDA essentially gives the profit-driven pork industry a “free-pass” to regulate themselves. David recently brought evidence of the abuse and food safety issues to the White House’s Office of Business and Management (OMB) and the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service to argue that HIMP is dangerous for food safety and animal welfare nationwide.
Presently, only five slaughterhouses operate under the HIMP pilot program — but if the OMB approves the policy, it may be expanded across the country. Let your voice be heard — protect pigs, slaughterhouse workers, and consumer health by signing COK’s change.org petition to stop HIMP today!
We must help and to do this we must all go vegan. It is the only way.
Heartbreaking, These Barbaric People need to stop torture and slaughter animals. How Inhumane can a human be? Animals are living special creatures: Not food for your consumption. To these total Inhumane individuals: Hoping your fate, will be the the same as these poor sweet pigs, chicken, birds etc. May you burn in Hell when your time is up. God does justice! Animals were first in this world before the human existed and God wants us to respect and love all animals, not torture, slaughter and eat!
No question, ANIMAL AGRICULTURE IS THE MOST BARBARIC BUSINESS EVER. WHEN WE EAT, WEAR AND USE ANIMAL PRODUCTS WE CREATE, ENCOURAGE, ALLOW AND PROMOTE VIOLENCE, POLLUTION, HUNGER, DISEASES, GLOBAL WARMING, DEFORESTATION AND WILD LIFE EXTINCTION. ONLY PLANT – BASED (VEGAN) LIFESTYLE WILL STOP ALL ATROCITIES FOR GOOD. LET’S MAKE OUR WORLD A BETTER PLACE. TIME IS RUNNING OUT AS WE CAN SEE… THE MORE SOME PEOPLE HAVE, THE MORE THEY WANT. “ANIMAL RIGHTS WITHOUT VEGANISM IS LIKE HUMAN RIGHTS WITH SLAVERY. IT MAKES NO SENSE. NONE WHAT SO EVER.” – GARY FRANCIONE
Horrible – please send petition!
Terrible – how do I sign the petition?
It is extremely inhumane, for pigs to go through such torture. These are living creatures, they feel sadness, hurt and pain just like we do. Please have compassion on these innocent creatures! It hurts my soul to know that they feel “Such Pain”!
The US seems to be on a spiral of bad animal management in all areas, be it farm animals, wolves, wild horses……I thought the Far East was bad enough on animal cruelty but the US seems to be hot on its tails!
I cannot watch the video. I wish this was not happening. I’m glad they are creating stem cell meats without killing animals. What do we do with the millions of animals when this new meat industry replaced the live animals? I know pigs are very smart and affectionate, and care for their young. I sign all the petitions to save and help these poor creatures.
Sadly, I care most about the animal abuse in this situation than I do the people. This is the very reason I am a vegan. This operation is a barbaric & disgusting Hitler tactic.
Wrong and inhumane. My heart is broken. Stop this now, stop kill and eat Gods Creations. Pigs have feelings, just like humans. Animals were first in this world before the human existed and God wants us to respect and love all animals. Please stop this now: Please Please.
i am so sick of greedy greedy heartless humans inflicting there barbaric killings of these animals scared out of there minds no where to run and tortured by humans who dont give a s t how it suffers all for money you heartless asses!!!!
BASTA DE MALTRATO, VIOLACIONES, GOLPES, QUEMAR , TORTURAR ANIMALES… SON SERES VIVOS QUE MERECEN VIVIR SOBRE LA TIERRA COMO EL HUMANO. ES HORA DE QUE EMPIECEN A RESPETARLOS. BASTA….
STOP THIS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I really find it hard to understand this horrendous cruelty carried out on these innocent animals by barbaric humans. This must not be allowed. I pray for the day when we all wake up and stop eating meat. Only then will the nightmare stop.
pure sick barbaric evil
These intelligent emotional creatures being slaughtered in the most inhumane manner all for what?
Such heinous and evil acts of torture and murders towards fellow creatures is beyond criminal and MUST be STOPPED NOW!
I am completely appalled to hear that pig killing is going into speed production. We all are appalled at the treatment of intelligent pigs, and are very concerned to hear that production killing is to be speed up, which is hell on the pigs. A real horror story for them. They suffer terribly. Please, reconsider. While the pigs are in your care, see that they suffer less, not more.
All these are driven by demands. Meat consumption is not good for the environment too. We should really look for alternative diet in the long run. Vegan, or reduced meat consumption, even considering bugs as a protein source, why not?
Please stop this cruelty now.
I strongly oppose this cruel and dangerous proposal, which endangers animals, consumers, and American workers. Slaughter plants must not have free reign to kill at recklessly high speeds with poor oversight. An investigation by Compassion Over Killing of a pilot high-speed slaughter program exposed pigs dragged, kicked and excessively shocked by workers who could barely keep up — risking human injury and compromising the safety of the food supply. Please abandon this proposal and instead focus on stopping the horrific cruelty that already exists in this industry.
dam stop
Please end the cruel endless pig slaughtering!
On peut juger de la grandeur d’une nation par la façon dont les animaux sont traités.
Gandhi
The size of a nation can be judged by the way animals are treated.
Gandhi
Animals have feelings including pain needs honend they deserve better
Good day. This type of treatment to these pigs is just inhumane and profit driven at the expensive of a living animal that actually feels and really should have rights. We all need to eat, and people choose pigs, but it should not be done at the expensive of our humanity and the rights these animals should have to a quick and pain free death and a good life before that. Under no circumstances should any animal have to endure unnecessary pain or cruelty, especially not that some CEO makes a quick buck. These practices are not only harming the pigs but also creating humans that disconnect and become monsters, because this type of work really makes a person detach from seeing pain, even with fellow people. The mere fact that these slaughter houses exist is a shame upon any country allowing them, it is our duty as people in this day and age to really employ the very best standards of slaughter and care for those who cannot speak being children and animals. It is not okay to allow this and let it continue, it is not okay to make profit at the cost of life and humanity, it is not okay!!! These practices of speedy slaughter for gain need to change with laws and regulations so companies don’t need to cut back on the necessities in order to make a profit because meat can rather be sold at a higher price. It is not okay to cut costs.
Hey, put a petition here, no BLA BLA , what’s the point ?
Horrific
ANIMALS HAVE FEELINGS AND RIGHTS TOO! PLEASE HELP!
STOP THE SLAUGHTER HOUSE CRIMES AND EVIL AGAINST THE POOR ANIMALS !!!
STOP THE SLAUGHTER HOUSE CRIMES AND EVIL AGAINST THE POOR ANIMALS !!!
Because of the anger and hostility I have towards these SLAUGHTER houses…I will not say what I truly think and feel. I WILL LEAVE IT AS THIS….. KARMA times three … to those who harm, torture, kill, and neglect any animal… Mote it be!
Because of the anger and hostility I have towards these SLAUGHTER houses…I will not say what I truly think and feel. I WILL LEAVE IT AS THIS….. KARMA times three … to those who harm, torture, kill, and neglect any animal… Mote it be!
We should treat all animals with respect and never wish to give them fear and pain !!!!