History is littered with examples of great atrocity being masked with so-called necessity and the use of neutral or clinical language. Nowhere is that clearer than the way Big Agriculture kills animals in cruel ways with impunity. Animals make it to consideration as numbers on a balance sheet, are killed in their thousands at secret facilities deliberately hidden from the public eye, and die incredibly painful deaths in practices like the unspeakably horrible “ventilation shutdown.”

When farmers can’t get rid of their excess “stock” due to covid-19 affecting meat-packing factories, they shut down the ventilation system, doors and windows of large overcrowded barns filled with pigs until the animals die of “hyperthermia.” Video footage from Direct Action Everywhere showed a barn full of pigs, the camera filling up with steam, and the sound of shrieking as the pigs bodies’ overheated until the steam cleared to show the grey dead bodies of the pigs.

Ag gag laws continue to be passed by different states. Attempts by activists to show the truth are met with charges of terrorism. Even when the images of unbelievable cruelty are accessible to the public, the meat industry continues to fight back. The American Veterinarians Association have come under fire from a rebel group of veterinarians who object to the organization’s approval of the process for mass extermination. Although advocating for this practice may seem extreme and violent, it’s not a surprise. The ability of the agricultural industry to end so many animal lives in cruel ways shows that Big Ag’s brutal regime still controls what is acceptable. Please read more about this issue, share with friends and sign the petition in the following article: https://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/iowa-pigs-steamed-to-death/

https://theintercept.com/2020/05/31/animal-rights-map-farms-coronavirus/

https://news.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=210&catId=616&Id=9708475

Two teenagers from Wichita Falls are being charged with animal cruelty after they tortured and dismembered a kitten and shared the video on Snapchat. In response to the incident, PETA have launched a really important debate about teen animal cruelty. In a letter from their educational section, Teachkind, they pointed out that the dismemberment of the animal resembled lessons the teenagers were being taught in their science class.

Dissection teaches kids and teens that animals are disposable. PETA also cited numerous studies to show that dissection increases callousness towards animals in students. Once the capacity to be violent towards animals is established the links then blossom between violence to animals and violence to humans. You could argue that the Wichita Falls students are “bad examples” of humanity, or perhaps troubled, violent kids. But if so why did they choose to share their cruelty on Snapchat with their peers? Taking pride in animal cruelty assumes an audience for it. There is a context to this kind of behavior. Science class can teach a humane approach to doing science, or it can teach us that humans are “above” nature, and that we can take what we want from it. These girls used and tortured a defenseless kittens for their own reasons. Science education has a “purpose” for killing animals. And yet it sends the same message, that animals are disposable. There are plenty of methods of interactive learning available these days that can teach anatomy without dissection. Science increasingly doesn’t have to rely on cruelty. The right time to send the message of kindness is when minds are young and can be changed.

Please read, share and advocate for humane science education in schools!

For the original story, click on the link: https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2018/05/21/wichita-falls-video-kitten-being-abused-prompts-peta-response/629379002

According to a viral video that sparked outrage on the internet, New York police killed a raccoon in the most inhumane way by running the animal over repeatedly with their vehicles. The woman who shared the videos reported that it took 15 minutes for the animal to die. The police have said they didn’t want to shoot the raccoon because it was in a populated area, and the animal is claimed to have been rabid.

For a death this painful and prolonged, we have scarce information to justify it. It is a persistent problem that police are allowed to respond to threats with less than adequate caution and respect for human and animal life. Animals’ lives are easily devalued in situations where they are seen as merely a “threat”, and officers can act violently without consequence. The Department of Environmental Conservation is reportedly investigating the death. We hope for answers…

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/video-coeymans-new-york-officers-running-over-raccoon/