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A host of top athletes have joined forces with an animal protection agency to fight the nationwide expansion of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s [USDA] high-speed pig slaughter program.
Compassion Over Killing [COK] has launched its ‘Not So Fast, USDA’ campaign in a bid to bring attention to the proposals.
An investigative video by the group exposed high-speed practices at Quality Pork Processors [QPP]. Under the USDA’s pilot program, QPP is one of the nation’s fastest slaughter plants, killing approximately 1,300 pigs every hour.
Athletes
Some of the famous faces taking part in the campaign include NBA champion and All-Star Metta World Peace, Olympic cyclist and activist Dotsie Bausch, and cyclist Jack Lindquist.
They are joined by rock climber and flyer Steph Davis, race car driver Spencer Pumpelly, World Cup volleyball champion Dustin Watten, ultra runner Laura Kline, and race car driver Andy Lally.
The athletes want to point out that while they are meant to be fast, high speed has no place at a slaughter plant – and is dangerous and cruel.
Compassion over Killing documented the slaughter.
Consultation
The USDA is accepting public comments on its proposed program – which is misleadingly titled ‘Modernization of Swine Slaughter Inspection’ – until May 2.
According to CoK: “Under the plans, the New Swine Slaughter Inspection System [NSIS] would expand nationwide a pilot program known as ‘HIMP’, allowing slaughterhouse to run at dangerously fast speeds, while also reducing the number of government inspectors on the line.
“As Americans are sprinting to submit comments to the USDA, these elite athletes are telling the federal agency that it’s no game to jeopardize animal welfare, and worker and consumer safety, by speeding up slaughter lines.”
Compassion
Champion NBA All-Star, Metta World Peace, said: “As a society, we need to draw the line and put safety, common sense, and compassion ahead of corporate profits.
“The modernization of our food safety systems should NOT come at the expense of public health, worker safety, or animal welfare.”
Erica Meier, Compassion Over Killing’s Executive Director, added: “Compassion Over Killing is excited to pass the ball to these renowned athletes who are energizing our team effort to champion animals, workers, and consumers by opposing the USDA’s dangerous NSIS program.”
COK’s former investigator Scott David will soon deliver to the USDA more than a quarter of a million petition signatures against the program.
