He hogties abuse on HBO documentary Death on a Factory Farm

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BY Amy Sacks

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

 

Friday, March 13th 2009, 10:33 PM

 

 

HBO

 

Undercover animal rights investigator " Pete " with pig he befriended while

secretly filming abuse that can be seen Monday on HBO's " Death on a Factory

Farm. "

 

Working on a farm that raises animals for food is not the ideal job for a vegan.

 

But cracking down on animal cruelty and exposing the suffering is a rewarding

career for one vegan undercover animal rights investigator, who goes by the name

" Pete. "

 

" It's cool to do something, document it, and blow the lid off it, " said the

fearless animal activist, who has spent the last seven years secretly recording

the atrocities in U.S. puppy mills and factory farms.

 

His work documenting the abuse on a central Ohio pig farm will appear in the HBO

documentary " Death on a Factory Farm, " which airs Monday.

 

The powerful film follows the undercover investigation of Wiles Hog Farm by the

animal rights group The Humane Farming Association and the resulting court case

against some of the farm's practices.

 

Warning: Barring the final scene, this film is not pretty. Wearing a hidden

camera, Pete spent six weeks secretly videotaping the horrors of abuse:

squealing piglets being hurled like bags of rice into overcrowded crates, a

sickly piglet " euthanized " by slamming it against the wall, and a sick hog being

hung by a chain from a fork-lift until it choked to death.

 

" Ignorance is bliss, but people need to see this up close and personal, " said

Pete, whose previous undercover work was the basis for the 2006 HBO documentary,

" Dealing Dogs, " which exposed the abuses that took place at the Martin Creek

Kennel, in Arkansas, which was eventually shut down.

 

His work this year included grueling stints at a turkey factory farm and two

California egg farms, which highlighted the plight of hens raised in battery

cages.

 

Those investigations helped lead to last year's passage of California's

Proposition2, which bans the cruel confinement of veal calves, breeding pigs,

and egg-laying hens in tiny crates and cages on industrial factory farms.

 

" When people see cruelty with their own eyes, it leads to policy reforms and

other positive changes for animals, " said Michael Markarian, president of the

Humane Society Legislative Fund, which sponsored the bill.

 

Getting the goods, however, is dirty work. The low-paying job is risky, highly

emotional and desperately lonely, says Pete, who is never seen without dark

sunglasses, has twice legally changed his name and hasn't had a date in years.

 

Maintaining his cover also requires sacrificing his morals and learning to shut

down his emotions. The devout vegan will even eat meat on the job and will harm

an animal for the sake of getting on tape what's needed in court to end the

abusive practices.

 

Still, he does what he has to help change laws and people's perceptions.

 

" There's always times I have to shake my head and think I can't believe this is

in front of me, " he said. " But we have to change ourselves first if we expect

there to be change around us. "

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Toby Project will offer free spay/neuter surgery in the Bronx this weekend

to pet owners who can show proof of public assistance. The upcoming dates are

tomorrow at Capuchin Way; Friday at Edenwald Housing Development, and Sunday,

March 22, at Capuchin Way. For more info go to www.thetobyproject.org.

 

amy.sacks1

 

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ClayS Mar 14, 2009 7:34:39 AM Report Offensive Post

I'm a devout carnivore and generally think of vegans as a bunch of flakes. But I

fully support what this guy did. There is no reason for unnecessary suffering of

animals at the hands of some sickos. These are the kind of people that would

probably otherwise be serial killers. We need to crack down on deliberate animal

abuse in these facilities.

 

Redheat Mar 14, 2009 7:44:46 AM Report Offensive Post

Amazing story and a hero no doubt. However I cannot watch the documentary. I've

heard the squeals of pigs going to slaughter and it sounded like the cries of

small children. I'll never get that sound out of my head and if I watched this

program I'd never have those images erased. I'm happy to see someone has the

drive to make all this abuse come to light.

 

YYYYYGuy Mar 14, 2009 9:34:30 AM Report Offensive Post

Rosie O'donnell and bodyguard.

 

EastonS17 Mar 14, 2009 10:29:09 AM Report Offensive Post

Like Clay S, I am a devout meat eater as well as an animal lover. I do not have

any problem with animals being raised for food as long as they are put down

humanely. I have read stories about the horrors of such places and am glad to

see that someone has the b@lls to bring it to light. I only hope that some of

the money in Obama's stimulus bills can be used to shut down and prosecute the

operators of these farms who subject Gods creatures to such horrible suffering.

Bravo Pete - I see vegans in a new light now!

 

custer12 Mar 14, 2009 1:30:18 PM Report Offensive Post

The HSUS has a genocide agenda. They are trying to change the United States into

a vegan country. They are telling there vegans they will eat the grain the

animals eat. But the animals eat Monsanto grain, altered grain. The animals eat

the grain with no ill effects but if humans eat ithe grain the grain will kill

them. HSUS sue Monsanto for trying to kill vegans.

 

HaKalev Mar 14, 2009 3:41:27 PM Report Offensive Post

The creatures of our nation, and planet, have been betrayed - tortured from

birth until brutal slaughter, all for profit. It is unforgivable - They suffer

every minute, unseen and ignored. Speak for them - If not me, if not you - Who?

 

mr.muncheez Mar 14, 2009 4:54:41 PM Report Offensive Post

Animal abuse is just downright deplorable!! Kudos to this guy. Don't get me

wrong, I love me some veal parm, juicy filet mignon and tender pork chops...and

I don't want to have to hunt for my food, so animals will die so us humans can

eat. However, it should be done as humanely as possible. These factories that

engage in animal abuse need to be fined large sums of money on the 1st

offense..on the 2nd offense...SHUT DOWN for good and owners should be given

prison sentances.

 

bea elliott Mar 14, 2009 11:23:26 PM Report Offensive Post

Of course the saddest thing to whole ordeal that animals must suffer is that it

is all " unnecessary " . Several commentators here have said they don't want the

animals to be abused or harmed needlessly - What really, beside the taste of

their fle****he " need " ? We can thrive on a plant based diet. It is better for

health, better for the environment and certainly better for the animal. There

really is no justification for killing any of them... To the degree of abuse in

each one of these factories - each of us is responsible... A *** vegan diet is

the least that one can do if they choose to make claim to any " kindness to

animals " . We simply don't need to kill them, not for nuggets, or sausage or

burgers. Go Vegan

 

fish2fry Mar 14, 2009 11:26:38 PM Report Offensive Post

The forum has oddly edited my description of " meat " - apparently fle****o

offensive a term. My question is, if it is so vile to say - how on earth can we

justify it's consumption? Choose *** - go vegan