Animal agriculture in the spotlight

The Los Angeles Times today ran a story about hidden-camera video footage of a Turlock poultry farm. The story was picked up by the Associated Press and has now appeared in at least 40 newspaper and broadcast media outlets.

According to the Times story, the video was shot by an undercover investigator with the group Mercy for Animals and shows workers mistreating chickens at Gemperle Enterprises.

"What I saw on that video is not what our company does," owner Steve Gemperle was quoted in the article. "We do not accept any abuse of farm animals. It's against our values and morals."

According to the story, UC Davis emeritus professor of veterinary medicine, Ned Buyukmihci, was quoted in a letter the executive director of Mercy for Animals, Nathan Runkle, sent to Merced and Stanislaus county district attorneys.

The letter quoted Buyukmihci as saying the treatment was "cruel by any normal definition of the word" and violated the "norms of conduct with respect to animal welfare and veterinary care," according to the Times article.

The Times story, written by reporter Eric Bailey, includes a link to the Mercy for Animals Web site, where the 7-minute video documentary may be viewed online. The video, which ends with a plug for vegan eating, comes six months before California voters consider the California Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act, which is on the November ballot

Jim Downing wrote a story about the Mercy for Animals video for the Sacramento Bee. Associated Press Fresno bureau chief Garance Burke posted the AP story, which has appeared in the San Diego Union Tribune and the San Francisco Chronicle. TV reports have appeared on the CBS affiliate in Fresno and the ABC affiliate in the Bay Area.

Read more