Giving Thanks....For Turkey Abuse

​worldanimalnews.com/not-happy-thanksgiving-everyone-dxe-releases-horrific-undercover-video-turkey-factory-farm/

As the United States gears up for Thanksgiving, hundreds of millions of turkeys are preparing to be slaughtered. Considering this is a holiday surrounding giving thanks for our many blessings throughout the year, it's ironic that to do so, so many turkeys have to suffer.

DxE recently released undercover footage of a turkey farm in Utah and unsurprisingly, turkeys were not being treated as wonderfully as the farm would suggest. These seemingly cared for turkeys were crammed into unimaginably small spaces with little room to move. There were turkeys riddled with disease and tumors, sick and near death along with turkeys that resorted to cannibalism because of immense stress. The footage was shocking and saddening at the same time. No animal deserves to live in squalor for a holiday meal.

The reality is, it's not just this farm that has these issues. I've reported on countless undercover missions that have exposed rampant cruelty involving cattle, chickens, and pigs. There is no such thing as humanely raised factory farmed animals. It's a fallacy used to prevent us from discovering the truth behind these animal's poor living conditions. Here's a rule of thumb, if the animal was factory farmed, chances are you're buying meat that is tainted with pain, stress, and suffering.

I can't stress enough how despicable our actions are towards animals. Our desire to enjoy meat has blinded us from witnessing the abhorrent conditions the animals live through to end up on our plates. Our greed has shielded us from any feelings of responsibility and yet, there would be no factory farming if not for our desires. The "need" for meat will continue to see factory farming as a necessity and without strict regulations, there will continue to be abuse.

I've suggested in the past a much stricter review of the conditions the animals live in. Monitoring these farms and cracking down on poor conditions is the first step. Holding these farms accountable for their actions and demanding improvements is necessary. It's quite obvious that there are significant cruelty issues within the industry and yet nothing seems to be done about it. Who's responsible for overseeing factory farms in their entirety? 

Until there is government support, animals on farms will continue to suffer. They will continue to live in unacceptable conditions, they will continue to be abused and tortured, and we will continue paying for it. Without undercover busts like this one, the general public would be completely unaware of the conditions their "meat" live in prior to heading to a thanksgiving spread. The fact is, we need the government to stand up and set the bar higher for animals on farms. We need stricter regulations for the conditions the animals must be kept in. We need improvements across the board, there's too much abuse happening and it's widespread. The biggest hurdle will always be the government regardless of where you live. 

Thank goodness for DxE and their undercover exposure. Thank goodness for their work and the fact that they rescued what turkeys they could. Thank goodness for any animal advocacy group who works to expose the cruelty of these farms. Without any of these groups, all of this horrendous cruelty would go unnoticed. My question is, when will the government see this as a big enough problem to finally address? Our current factory farm regulations are not acceptable. If animals are living in squalor amongst dead or diseased animals, fighting for space to move, or stressing to the point of attacking one another, there is a problem. If these animals are being hit, thrown, or beaten, there is a major problem. 

Unfortunately, until it is recognized as a problem by those responsible for doing anything about it, there will be no change. 

HAPPY VEG