Welfare Losers and The Humane Game

So the harmer says: "Many food stores and food retailers have announced implementation of third-party verification measures to ensure the animals from which food products are derived were treated humanely. In the near future, customers will demand third-party verification and if it doesn’t exist, the store providing the food is not going to be credible with the public.Agriculture can win this battle for the hearts and minds of consumers. Farmers and ranchers must remember whom they are trying to influence. Customers and consumers need to hear from livestock producers.It is not productive for the agriculture community to attack activist groups. Instead, agriculture must retake its rightful position as the people in charge of ensuring the humane treatment of animals.Agriculture must inform people we share their concerns and we work hard every day to make sure our animals are treated fairly and humanely. Follow that by sharing with them how we meet our obligations to the humane treatment of the animals on our farms."

Now what exactly is "humane" - Everyone wants to know!  It seems that consumers are having a hard time with figuring out the "standards" that others are suggesting:
Animal Welfare Institute
Animal Welfare Approved

Global Animal Partnership

Farm Animal Welfare Council

FAO Gateway to Farm Animal Welfare

National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee

Animal Agriculture Alliance

Making Sense of Animal Product Labels

Beef Quality Assurance Code of Ethics

USDA Livestock Behavior Research
Animal Wellbeing Program
Animal Care and Use Committee 
Animal Welfare Quality
Compassion in World Farming

This list of "experts" and diverse "welfare ratings" could go on and on... But there are a few basic "rules" to what they all say is "humane".  And they are: that all animal intended as "food", ought to have food and water themselves... (duh) And animals ought to be given appropriate medical treatment just to insure they don't (accidentally) die... And that when it is time for them to be killed it should be done "humanely".  From there on there is a plethora of variables that can get very confusing.

So, if you're someone looking to figure out what is "humane" and you can't quite sort all the details out yourself - Perhaps you should play The Humane Game:

It sort of works like chutes and ladders... You know - You find a "free range" egg... But ooops! You just learned the hen came from a hatchery where millions of male chicks are killed --- Down the slide you go!

Hey! Found some "grass fed beef"?  But wait a second... You discover the dehorning and castration process is done without anesthetics --- Gosh, down the slide you go again!

What about "organic milk" from happy cows?  Oh no!!! They take away their babies too! And the poor cows are shuffled off to the industrial slaughterhouses along side their "factory" sisters.  Yep... This game is going to be pretty hard alright.

Now... How about some bacon sourced from pigs that are wallowing contentedly in the mud and sunshine... Uh, Oh... You pull the card that has this question: Is it really right to remove a "happy" animal from the earth either?  

Let's face it... It's a game that can't be won!  There is no "humane" way to eat animals!

Finally, if you really want to get technical about it --- Here goes:

"Humane" means to be concerned with alleviating suffering.  These animals are not diseased, crippled or in aged pain.  They are delivered young and healthy and "fit for life", so there is absolutely no "misery" to relieve these animals of-  Only terror and pain to cause.  

The saddest thing of all though in this Humane Game is that 

it's always the animals that lose!

Tired of playing games with innocent lives? Learn more: Humane Myth

Gentle Mercy Rescues Calves & Children - Healing Through Kindness

A happy update from the Mercy for Animals E6 investigation! Four beautiful calves have been rescued and placed at The Gentle Barn.  Gentle Barn is a unique haven where refugee animals help human kids heal from their own wounds of misfortune, neglect and/or abuse:

"We believe that our animals are particularly healing with these children. First of all, the animals have all been abused before coming to The Gentle Barn. Relaying their stories to the children allows them to identify and relate to the pain of the animals. Often times the children share similar pasts. Secondly, as they see that the animals are safe here with us, the children begin to open up, as they too feel safe. Finally, we believe that animals, with their unconditional love and non-judgmental attitude, can often times reach kids more deeply and effectively than people can. As the children learn to love the animals, they simultaneously learn to love a part of themselves. As they learn to understand the animals, they learn to understand a part of themselves."


I believe the injuries inflicted to animals and children stem from the same source... It makes total sense that their mutual experiences will help each the same, to become whole again.

*****************************

Roy, Ari, Mercy, and Bob represent 10,000 calves in JUST this ONE facility with thousands more just like it... When you're in the dairy isle - Remember these babies torn from their mothers. Remember that their food AND lives were stolen from them! PLEASE, please - You would not deliberately make a victim of any human child - Please don't make victims of the nonhuman ones either. There are countless alternatives...

Eat Gently. Live with Mercy. Go Vegan.

Let's STOP! Killing Other Mother's Children

Ah... Mother's Day! And don't we know the cards, flowers and candy are being showered to praise these adored and adoring Moms!

But for those who may not know... Right this very moment, indeed at any time you look at your watch or calendar some mom some where is bearing down to deliver her baby either on a kill pen floor like Spirit was born to Faith:
  

Or Luna born to Bella:

Or countless nameless ones on the run from being hazed back to Yellow Stone - Or marched with their newborns in "pairs" to the slaughterhouses:
In February, 249,000 dairy cows were sent through Federally inspected slaughter plants

Round the clock we take mother's precious newborns and use special equipment to break open their bodies with.  We hunt mother wolves when babies are in their dens.  We club baby seals while their mothers are helpless to defend them.  We steal baby elephants to train and "amuse" us in circuses.  And remove "exotic" babies from their homes to "educate" us in zoos.  We force infant primates into mad scientist's labs... And what we do for the want of eggs would horrify even an ogre.

We trap other mothers away from everything that's a natural instinct and dispose of her "excess" babies, a result of breeding that has created litters too large for each piglet to have a teat. We imprison tens of thousands of female dogs in tiny cages to spit out pet-store "inventory".

Yeah... We slaughter ewes with their lambs and nannies with their kids.  Strange how we even adopted "their names" sanitizing our relationship with them even more.  Meanwhile what human mothers do to their own kids in the way of shielding and warping the truth about "meat" and "livestock" is even more perverse still.

Yet, I know there are good people out there... Trying to live an honest life - And so I don't want to end this post totally on all the wrongs and harms that those "other" people do...

Instead, I'd like to praise this human "mom" who saved three young dairy calves "Maid Marion, Robin Hood and Little John".  Now, if your heart doesn't melt watching the rescue of these gorgeous little lives... You go right to your Mom and tell her she must have neglected something in the raising of you!

Rescuer: Edgar's Mission 

Beautiful Mother's Day e-cards available at cow ribbon.com



We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other's children.
Jimmy Carter

Farms That Harm - Farms That Feed * Blood VS Food

I always wished that there was something I could call those in animal "agriculture" that more closely defined their trade... After all, I do LOVE the fine people that grow the food which nourishes me, and they are very different than the ones that breed animals for blood, bone and flesh.

So I'm very grateful that John Sakars made the clever distinction between the two...

And what about these people who work the "nice" harms?  They will say that the animals are very happy and well cared for... The man who raises cattle enjoys seeing the "cycle" of life --- But that "life" is abruptly ended at a mere fraction of it's potential.  How is that "life"?  The woman is always "awed" to see that new mother cows know exactly what to do... And of course her family "eats like kings".  What an odd, warped world these "nice harmers" must exist in.



Now after undercover investigations like the most recent one from Mercy for Animals, these harmers come out in full rank to defend that their businesses... They will say that most places take great "care" of the animals they "love".  We've all seen and read this countless times.  They will also say that they encourage transparency and encourage questions... This may be so initially, but in my experience once the conversations get too "uncomfortable" they will discontinue them.

Case in point - A little more than a year ago Mercy for Animals conducted yet another investigation on a dairy farm.  I engaged in a conversation at the "Dairy Goddess" site and after posting a few comments of unwavering disagreement - The discussion was "closed". 

And just last week a few advocates participated in a debate on the Farm and Dairy site.  The "last word" was had by eliminating the "reply" button.  Well! Guess that's one way to win an argument!

There are many other instances of this hiding-habit of the harmers to shut down verbal exchange - But thus far, a conversation is allowed an open forum on this Brandi Buzzard site.  In fact I'm encouraged to share this with other advocates so that all views can be considered.  If anyone's interested here ya go:
Still No Excuse: Owner of E6 Ranch Steps Up

Finally anyone who's been reading my posts for a while knows I'm keeping a running tab of the "food animals" raised "humanely" who have perish live in burning infernos:
From Farm to Fridge and Fire Along the Way - Got Mercy For Animals?
Mooving Along to Burned Cows - Cash Cows & Viral Video Cows
Farmers Aren't Practicing Birth Control - Your Husbandry & Proliferation Is Killing Us!
And so I add 4,800 pigs killed in a fire in northeast Iowa.

I know without a doubt these pigs were being tended to by harmers... Not farmers.
So please... Support your farmers - Eat all the fresh fruits and veggies that you know are better for you and kindest to the animals.