FW: A washingtonpost.com article FYI

June 14, 2005

A washingtonpost.com article FYI

'They Die Piece by Piece'

By Joby Warrick

Second of two articles

PASCO, Wash.--It takes 25 minutes to turn a live steer into steak at the

modern slaughterhouse where Ramon Moreno works. For 20 years, his post was

" second-legger, " a job that entails cutting hocks off carcasses as they

whirl past at a rate of 309 an hour.

The cattle were supposed to be dead before they got to Moreno. But too

often they weren't.

" They blink. They make noises, " he said softly. " The head moves, the eyes

are wide and looking around. "

Still Moreno would cut. On bad days, he says, dozens of animals reached

his station clearly alive and conscious. Some would survive as far as the

tail cutter, the belly ripper, the hide puller. " They die, " said Moreno,

" piece by piece. "

Under a 23-year-old federal law, slaughtered cattle and hogs first must be

" stunned " -- rendered insensible to pain -- with a blow to the head or an

electric shock. But at overtaxed plants, the law is sometimes broken, with

cruel consequences for animals as well as workers. Enforcement records,

interviews, videos and worker affidavits describe repeated violations of the

Humane Slaughter Act at dozens of slaughterhouses, ranging from the

smallest, custom butcheries to modern, automated establishments such as the

sprawling IBP Inc. plant here where Moreno works.

" In plants all over the United States, this happens on a daily basis, "

said Lester Friedlander, a veterinarian and formerly chief government

inspector at a Pennsylvania hamburger plant. " I've seen it happen. And I've

talked to other veterinarians. They feel it's out of control. "

The U.S. Department of Agriculture oversees the treatment of animals in

meat plants, but enforcement of the law varies dramatically. While a few

plants have been forced to halt production for a few hours because of

alleged animal cruelty, such sanctions are rare.

For example, the government took no action against a Texas beef company

that was cited 22 times in 1998 for violations that included chopping hooves

off live cattle. In another case, agency supervisorsfailed to take action on

multiple complaints of animal cruelty at a Florida beef plant and fired an

animal health technician for reporting the problems to the Humane Society.

The dismissal letter sent to the technician, Tim Walker, said his dislosure

had " irreparably damaged " the agency's relations with the packing plant.

" I complained to everyone -- I said, 'Lookit, they're skinning live cows

in there,' " Walker said. " Always it was the same answer: 'We know it's

true. But there's nothing we can do about it.' "

In the past three years, a new meat inspection systemthat shifted

responsibility to industry has made it harder to catch and report cruelty

problems, some federal inspectors say. Under the new system, implemented in

1998, the agency no longer tracks the number of humane-slaughter violations

its inspectors find each year.

Some inspectors are so frustrated they're asking outsiders for help: The

inspectors' union last spring urged Washington state authorities to crack

down on alleged animal abuse at the IBP plant in Pasco. In a statement, IBP

said problems described by workers in its Washington state plant " do not

accurately represent the way we operate our plants. We take the issue of

proper livestock handling very seriously. "

But the union complained that new government policies and faster

production speeds at the plant had " significantly hampered our ability to

ensure compliance. " Several animal welfare groups joined in the petition.

" Privatization of meat inspection has meant a quiet death to the already

meager enforcement of the Humane Slaughter Act, " said Gail Eisnitz of the

Humane Farming Association, a group that advocates better treatment of farm

animals. " USDA isn't simply relinquishing its humane-slaughter oversight to

the meat industry, but is -- without the knowledge and consent of Congress

-- abandoning this function altogether. "

The USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service, which is responsible for meat

inspection, says it has not relaxed its oversight. In January, the agency

ordered a review of 100 slaughterhouses. An FSIS memo reminded its 7,600

inspectors they had an " obligation to ensure compliance " with

humane-handling laws.

The review comes as pressure grows on both industry and regulators to

improve conditions for the 155 million cattle, hogs, horses and sheep

slaughtered each year. McDonald's and Burger King have been subject to

boycotts by animal rights groups protesting mistreatment of livestock.

As a result, two years ago McDonald's began requiring suppliers to abide

by the American Meat Institute's Good Management Practices for Animal

Handling and Stunning. The company also began conducting annual audits of

meat plants. Last week, Burger King announced it would require suppliers to

follow the meat institute's standards.

" Burger King Corp. takes the issues of food safety and animal welfare very

seriously, and we expect our suppliers to comply, " the company said in a

statement.

Industry groups acknowledge that sloppy killing has tangible consequences

for consumers as well as company profits. Fear and pain cause animals to

produce hormones that damage meat and cost companies tens of millions of

dollars a year in discarded product, according to industry estimates.

Industry officials say they also recognize an ethical imperative to treat

animals with compassion. Science is blurring the distinction between the

mental processes of humans and lower animals -- discovering, for example,

that even the lowly rat may dream. Americans thus are becoming more

sensitive to the suffering of food animals, even as they consume increasing

numbers of them.

" Handling animals humanely, " said American Meat Institute President J.

Patrick Boyle, " is just the right thing to do. "

Clearly, not all plants have gotten the message.

A Post computer analysis of government enforcement records found 527

violations of humane-handling regulations from 1996 to 1997, the last years

for which complete records were available. The offenses range from

overcrowded stockyards to incidents in which live animals were cut, skinned

or scalded.

Through the Freedom of Information Act, The Post obtained enforcement

documents from 28 plants that had high numbers of offenses or had drawn

penalties for violating humane-handling laws. The Post also interviewed

dozens of current and former federal meat inspectors and slaughterhouse

workers. A reporter reviewed affidavits and secret video recordings made

inside two plants.

Among the findings:

. One Texas plant, Supreme Beef Packers in Ladonia, had 22 violations in

six months. During one inspection, federal officials found nine live cattle

dangling from an overhead chain. But managers at the plant, which announced

last fall it was ceasing operations, resisted USDA warnings, saying its

practices were no different than others in the industry. " Other plants are

not subject to such extensive scrutiny of their stunning activities, " the

plant complained in a 1997 letter to the USDA.

. Government inspectors halted production for a day at the Calhoun Packing

Co. beef plant in Palestine, Tex., after inspectors saw cattle being

improperly stunned. " They were still conscious and had good reflexes, " B.V.

Swamy, a veterinarian and senior USDA official at the plant, wrote. The

shift supervisor " allowed the cattle to be hung anyway. " IBP, which owned

the plant at the time, contested the findings but " took steps to resolve the

situation, " including installing video equipment and increasing training, a

spokesman said. IBP has since sold the plant.

. At the Farmers Livestock Cooperative processing plant in Hawaii,

inspectors documented 14 humane-slaughter violations in as many months.

Records from 1997 and 1998 describe hogs that were walking and squealing

after being stunned as many as four times. In a memo to USDA, the company

said it fired the stunner and increased monitoring of the slaughter process.

. At an Excel Corp. beef plant in Fort Morgan, Colo., production was halted

for a day in 1998 after workers allegedly cut off the leg of a live cow

whose limbs had become wedged in a piece of machinery. In imposing the

sanction, U.S. inspectors cited a string of violations in the previous two

years, including the cutting and skinning of live cattle. The company,

responding to one such charge, contended that it was normal for animals to

blink and arch their backs after being stunned, and such " muscular reaction "

can occur up to six hours after death. " None of these reactions indicate the

animal is still alive, " the company wrote to USDA.

. Hogs, unlike cattle, are dunked in tanks of hot water after they are

stunned to soften the hides for skinning. As a result, a botched slaughter

condemns some hogs to being scalded and drowned. Secret videotape from an

Iowa pork plant shows hogs squealing and kicking as they are being lowered

into the water.

USDA documents and interviews with inspectors and plant workers attributed

many of the problems to poor training, faulty or poorly maintained equipment

or excessive production speeds. Those problems were identified five years

ago in an industry-wide audit by Temple Grandin, an assistant professor with

Colorado State University's animal sciences department and one of the

nation's leading experts on slaughter practices.

In the early 1990s, Grandin developed the first objective standards for

treatment of animals in slaughterhouses, which were adopted by the American

Meat Institute, the industry's largest trade group. Her initial, USDA-funded

survey in 1996 was one of the first attempts to grade slaughter plants.

One finding was a high failure rate among beef plants that use stunning

devices known as " captive-bolt " guns. Of the plants surveyed, only 36

percent earned a rating of " acceptable " or better, meaning cattle were

knocked unconscious with a single blow at least 95 percent of the time.

Grandin now conducts annual surveys as a consultant for the American Meat

Institute and McDonald's Corp. She maintains that the past four years have

brought dramatic improvements -- mostly because of pressure from McDonald's,

which sends a team of meat industry auditors into dozens of plants each year

to observe slaughter practices.

Based on the data collected by McDonald's auditors, the portion of beef

plants scoring " acceptable " or better climbed to 90 percent in 1999. Some

workers and inspectors are skeptical of the McDonald's numbers, and Grandin

said the industry's performance dropped slightly last year after auditors

stopped giving notice of some inspections.

Grandin said high production speeds can trigger problems when people and

equipment are pushed beyond their capacity. From a typical kill rate of 50

cattle an hour in the early 1900s, production speeds rose dramatically in

the 1980s. They now approach 400 per hour in the newest plants.

" It's like the 'I Love Lucy' episode in the chocolate factory, " she said.

" You can speed up a job and speed up a job, and after a while you get to a

point where performance doesn't simply decline -- it crashes. "

When that happens, it's not only animals that suffer. Industry trade

groups acknowledge that improperly stunned animals contribute to worker

injuries in an industry that already has the nation's highest rate of

job-related injuries and illnesses -- about 27 percent a year. At some

plants, " dead " animals have inflicted so many broken limbs and teeth that

workers wear chest pads and hockey masks.

" The live cows cause a lot of injuries, " said Martin Fuentes, an IBP

worker whose arm was kicked and shattered by a dying cow. " The line is never

stopped simply because an animal is alive. "

A 'Brutal' Harvest

At IBP's Pasco complex, the making of the American hamburger starts in a

noisy, blood-spattered chamber shielded from view by a stainless steel wall.

Here, live cattle emerge from a narrow chute to be dispatched in a process

known as " knocking " or " stunning. " On most days the chamber is manned by a

pair of Mexican immigrants who speak little English and earn about $9 an

hour for killing up to 2,050 head per shift.

The tool of choice is the captive-bolt gun, which fires a retractable

metal rod into the steer's forehead. An effective stunning requires a

precision shot, which workers must deliver hundreds of times daily to balky,

frightened animals that frequently weigh 1,000 pounds or more. Within 12

seconds of entering the chamber, the fallen steer is shackled to a moving

chain to be bled and butchered by other workers in a fast-moving production

line.

The hitch, IBP workers say, is that some " stunned " cattle wake up.

" If you put a knife into the cow, it's going to make a noise: It says,

'Moo!' " said Moreno, the former second-legger, who began working in the

stockyard last year. " They move the head and the eyes and the leg like the

cow wants to walk. "

After a blow to the head, an unconscious animal may kick or twitch by

reflex. But a videotape, made secretly by IBP workers and reviewed by

veterinarians for The Post, depicts cattle that clearly are alive and

conscious after being stunned.

Some cattle, dangling by a leg from the plant's overhead chain, twist and

arch their backs as though trying to right themselves. Close-ups show

blinking reflexes, an unmistakable sign of a conscious brain, according to

guidelines approved by the American Meat Institute.

The video, parts of which were aired by Seattle television station KING

last spring, shows injured cattle being trampled. In one graphic scene,

workers give a steer electric shocks by jamming a battery-powered prod into

its mouth.

More than 20 workers signed affidavits alleging that the violations shown

on tape are commonplace and that supervisors are aware of them. The sworn

statements and videos were prepared with help from the Humane Farming

Association. Some workers had taken part in a 1999 strike over what they

said were excessive plant production speeds.

" I've seen thousands and thousands of cows go through the slaughter

process alive, " IBP veteran Fuentes, the worker who was injured while

working on live cattle, said in an affidavit. " The cows can get seven

minutes down the line and still be alive. I've been in the side-puller where

they're still alive. All the hide is stripped out down the neck there. "

IBP, the nation's top beef processor, denounced as an " appalling

aberration " the problems captured on the tape. It suggested the events may

have been staged by " activists trying to raise money and promote their

agenda. . . .

" Like many other people, we were very upset over the hidden camera video, "

the company said. " We do not in any way condone some of the livestock

handling that was shown. "

After the video surfaced, IBP increased worker training and installed

cameras in the slaughter area. The company also questioned workers and

offered a reward for information leading to identification of those

responsible for the video. One worker said IBP pressured him to sign a

statement denying that he had seen live cattle on the line.

" I knew that what I wrote wasn't true, " said the worker, who did not want

to be identified for fear of losing his job. " Cows still go alive every day.

When cows go alive, it's because they don't give me time to kill them. "

Independent assessments of the workers' claims have been inconclusive.

Washington state officials launched a probe in May that included an

unannounced plant inspection. The investigators say they were detained

outside the facility for an hour while their identities were checked. They

saw no acts of animal cruelty once permitted inside.

Grandin, the Colorado State professor, also inspected IBP's plant, at the

company's request; that inspection was announced. Although she observed no

live cattle being butchered, she concluded that the plant's older-style

equipment was " overloaded. " Grandin reviewed parts of the workers' videotape

and said there was no mistaking what she saw.

" There were fully alive beef on that rail, " Grandin said.

Inconsistent Enforcement

Preventing this kind of suffering is officially a top priority for the

USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service. By law, a humane-slaughter violation

is among a handful of offenses that can result in an immediate halt in

production -- and cost a meatpacker hundreds or even thousands of dollars

per idle minute.

In reality, many inspectors describe humane slaughter as a blind spot:

Inspectors' regular duties rarely take them to the chambers where stunning

occurs. Inconsistencies in enforcement, training and record-keeping hamper

the agency's ability to identify problems.

The meat inspectors' union, in its petition last spring to Washington

state's attorney general, contended that federal agents are " often prevented

from carrying out " the mandate against animal cruelty. Among the obstacles

inspectors face are " dramatic increases in production speeds, lack of

support from supervisors in plants and district offices . . . new inspection

policies which significantly reduce our enforcement authority, and little to

no access to the areas of the plants where animals are killed, " stated the

petition by the National Joint Council of Food Inspection Locals.

Barbara Masters, the agency's director of slaughter operations, told meat

industry executives in February she didn't know if the number of violations

was up or down, though she believed most plants were complying with the law.

" We encourage the district offices to monitor trends, " she said. " The fact

that we haven't heard anything suggests there are no trends. "

But some inspectors see little evidence the agency is interested in

hearing about problems. Under the new inspection system, the USDA stopped

tracking the number of violations and dropped all mentions of humane

slaughter from its list of rotating tasks for inspectors.

The agency says it expects its watchdogs to enforce the law anyway. Many

inspectors still do, though some occasionally wonder if it's worth the

trouble.

" It always ends up in argument: Instead of re-stunning the animal, you

spend 20 minutes just talking about it, " said Colorado meat inspector Gary

Dahl, sharing his private views. " Yes, the animal will be dead in a few

minutes anyway. But why not let him die with dignity? "

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June 14, 2005

this breaks my heart. Cows are truly gentle creatures.

someone once said; to the animals, all humans are nazis.

I agree with this.

there are many cows, around were I live, I see them, and take

pictures of them. knowing that they will never reach old age or die

natural deaths as they should have the right to.

I look at them in the eyes and say to them.

" someday my friend, there will be justice "

I am emotional and dramatic, upset and angry, but I don't apologize,

i have reason to be.

, " Craig Dearth " <cd39@e...> wrote:

> > >

>

> 'They Die Piece by Piece'

>

> By Joby Warrick

>

> Second of two articles

>

> PASCO, Wash.--It takes 25 minutes to turn a live steer into steak

at the

> modern slaughterhouse where Ramon Moreno works. For 20 years, his

post was

> " second-legger, " a job that entails cutting hocks off carcasses as

they

> whirl past at a rate of 309 an hour.

>

> The cattle were supposed to be dead before they got to Moreno.

But too

> often they weren't.

>

> " They blink. They make noises, " he said softly. " The head moves,

the eyes

> are wide and looking around. "

>

> Still Moreno would cut. On bad days, he says, dozens of animals

reached

> his station clearly alive and conscious. Some would survive as far

as the

> tail cutter, the belly ripper, the hide puller. " They die, " said

Moreno,

> " piece by piece. "

>

> Under a 23-year-old federal law, slaughtered cattle and hogs

first must be

> " stunned " -- rendered insensible to pain -- with a blow to the head

or an

> electric shock. But at overtaxed plants, the law is sometimes

broken, with

> cruel consequences for animals as well as workers. Enforcement

records,

> interviews, videos and worker affidavits describe repeated

violations of the

> Humane Slaughter Act at dozens of slaughterhouses, ranging from the

> smallest, custom butcheries to modern, automated establishments

such as the

> sprawling IBP Inc. plant here where Moreno works.

>

> " In plants all over the United States, this happens on a daily

basis, "

> said Lester Friedlander, a veterinarian and formerly chief

government

> inspector at a Pennsylvania hamburger plant. " I've seen it happen.

And I've

> talked to other veterinarians. They feel it's out of control. "

>

> The U.S. Department of Agriculture oversees the treatment of

animals in

> meat plants, but enforcement of the law varies dramatically. While

a few

> plants have been forced to halt production for a few hours because

of

> alleged animal cruelty, such sanctions are rare.

>

> For example, the government took no action against a Texas beef

company

> that was cited 22 times in 1998 for violations that included

chopping hooves

> off live cattle. In another case, agency supervisorsfailed to take

action on

> multiple complaints of animal cruelty at a Florida beef plant and

fired an

> animal health technician for reporting the problems to the Humane

Society.

> The dismissal letter sent to the technician, Tim Walker, said his

dislosure

> had " irreparably damaged " the agency's relations with the packing

plant.

>

> " I complained to everyone -- I said, 'Lookit, they're skinning

live cows

> in there,' " Walker said. " Always it was the same answer: 'We know

it's

> true. But there's nothing we can do about it.' "

>

> In the past three years, a new meat inspection systemthat shifted

> responsibility to industry has made it harder to catch and report

cruelty

> problems, some federal inspectors say. Under the new system,

implemented in

> 1998, the agency no longer tracks the number of humane-slaughter

violations

> its inspectors find each year.

>

> Some inspectors are so frustrated they're asking outsiders for

help: The

> inspectors' union last spring urged Washington state authorities to

crack

> down on alleged animal abuse at the IBP plant in Pasco. In a

statement, IBP

> said problems described by workers in its Washington state

plant " do not

> accurately represent the way we operate our plants. We take the

issue of

> proper livestock handling very seriously. "

>

> But the union complained that new government policies and faster

> production speeds at the plant had " significantly hampered our

ability to

> ensure compliance. " Several animal welfare groups joined in the

petition.

>

> " Privatization of meat inspection has meant a quiet death to the

already

> meager enforcement of the Humane Slaughter Act, " said Gail Eisnitz

of the

> Humane Farming Association, a group that advocates better treatment

of farm

> animals. " USDA isn't simply relinquishing its humane-slaughter

oversight to

> the meat industry, but is -- without the knowledge and consent of

Congress

> -- abandoning this function altogether. "

>

> The USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service, which is responsible

for meat

> inspection, says it has not relaxed its oversight. In January, the

agency

> ordered a review of 100 slaughterhouses. An FSIS memo reminded its

7,600

> inspectors they had an " obligation to ensure compliance " with

> humane-handling laws.

>

> The review comes as pressure grows on both industry and

regulators to

> improve conditions for the 155 million cattle, hogs, horses and

sheep

> slaughtered each year. McDonald's and Burger King have been subject

to

> boycotts by animal rights groups protesting mistreatment of

livestock.

>

> As a result, two years ago McDonald's began requiring suppliers

to abide

> by the American Meat Institute's Good Management Practices for

Animal

> Handling and Stunning. The company also began conducting annual

audits of

> meat plants. Last week, Burger King announced it would require

suppliers to

> follow the meat institute's standards.

>

> " Burger King Corp. takes the issues of food safety and animal

welfare very

> seriously, and we expect our suppliers to comply, " the company said

in a

> statement.

>

> Industry groups acknowledge that sloppy killing has tangible

consequences

> for consumers as well as company profits. Fear and pain cause

animals to

> produce hormones that damage meat and cost companies tens of

millions of

> dollars a year in discarded product, according to industry

estimates.

>

> Industry officials say they also recognize an ethical imperative

to treat

> animals with compassion. Science is blurring the distinction

between the

> mental processes of humans and lower animals -- discovering, for

example,

> that even the lowly rat may dream. Americans thus are becoming more

> sensitive to the suffering of food animals, even as they consume

increasing

> numbers of them.

>

> " Handling animals humanely, " said American Meat Institute

President J.

> Patrick Boyle, " is just the right thing to do. "

>

> Clearly, not all plants have gotten the message.

>

A Post computer analysis of government enforcement records found

527

> violations of humane-handling regulations from 1996 to 1997, the

last years

> for which complete records were available. The offenses range from

> overcrowded stockyards to incidents in which live animals were cut,

skinned

> or scalded.

>

> Through the Freedom of Information Act, The Post obtained

enforcement

> documents from 28 plants that had high numbers of offenses or had

drawn

> penalties for violating humane-handling laws. The Post also

interviewed

> dozens of current and former federal meat inspectors and

slaughterhouse

> workers. A reporter reviewed affidavits and secret video recordings

made

> inside two plants.

>

> Among the findings:

>

> . One Texas plant, Supreme Beef Packers in Ladonia, had 22

violations in

> six months. During one inspection, federal officials found nine

live cattle

> dangling from an overhead chain. But managers at the plant, which

announced

> last fall it was ceasing operations, resisted USDA warnings, saying

its

> practices were no different than others in the industry. " Other

plants are

> not subject to such extensive scrutiny of their stunning

activities, " the

> plant complained in a 1997 letter to the USDA.

>

> . Government inspectors halted production for a day at the Calhoun

Packing

> Co. beef plant in Palestine, Tex., after inspectors saw cattle being

> improperly stunned. " They were still conscious and had good

reflexes, " B.V.

> Swamy, a veterinarian and senior USDA official at the plant, wrote.

The

> shift supervisor " allowed the cattle to be hung anyway. " IBP, which

owned

> the plant at the time, contested the findings but " took steps to

resolve the

> situation, " including installing video equipment and increasing

training, a

> spokesman said. IBP has since sold the plant.

>

> . At the Farmers Livestock Cooperative processing plant in Hawaii,

> inspectors documented 14 humane-slaughter violations in as many

months.

> Records from 1997 and 1998 describe hogs that were walking and

squealing

> after being stunned as many as four times. In a memo to USDA, the

company

> said it fired the stunner and increased monitoring of the slaughter

process.

>

> . At an Excel Corp. beef plant in Fort Morgan, Colo., production

was halted

> for a day in 1998 after workers allegedly cut off the leg of a live

cow

> whose limbs had become wedged in a piece of machinery. In imposing

the

> sanction, U.S. inspectors cited a string of violations in the

previous two

> years, including the cutting and skinning of live cattle. The

company,

> responding to one such charge, contended that it was normal for

animals to

> blink and arch their backs after being stunned, and such " muscular

reaction "

> can occur up to six hours after death. " None of these reactions

indicate the

> animal is still alive, " the company wrote to USDA.

>

> . Hogs, unlike cattle, are dunked in tanks of hot water after they

are

> stunned to soften the hides for skinning. As a result, a botched

slaughter

> condemns some hogs to being scalded and drowned. Secret videotape

from an

> Iowa pork plant shows hogs squealing and kicking as they are being

lowered

> into the water.

>

> USDA documents and interviews with inspectors and plant workers

attributed

> many of the problems to poor training, faulty or poorly maintained

equipment

> or excessive production speeds. Those problems were identified five

years

> ago in an industry-wide audit by Temple Grandin, an assistant

professor with

> Colorado State University's animal sciences department and one of

the

> nation's leading experts on slaughter practices.

>

> In the early 1990s, Grandin developed the first objective

standards for

> treatment of animals in slaughterhouses, which were adopted by the

American

> Meat Institute, the industry's largest trade group. Her initial,

USDA-funded

> survey in 1996 was one of the first attempts to grade slaughter

plants.

>

> One finding was a high failure rate among beef plants that use

stunning

> devices known as " captive-bolt " guns. Of the plants surveyed, only

36

> percent earned a rating of " acceptable " or better, meaning cattle

were

> knocked unconscious with a single blow at least 95 percent of the

time.

>

> Grandin now conducts annual surveys as a consultant for the

American Meat

> Institute and McDonald's Corp. She maintains that the past four

years have

> brought dramatic improvements -- mostly because of pressure from

McDonald's,

> which sends a team of meat industry auditors into dozens of plants

each year

> to observe slaughter practices.

>

> Based on the data collected by McDonald's auditors, the portion

of beef

> plants scoring " acceptable " or better climbed to 90 percent in

1999. Some

> workers and inspectors are skeptical of the McDonald's numbers, and

Grandin

> said the industry's performance dropped slightly last year after

auditors

> stopped giving notice of some inspections.

>

> Grandin said high production speeds can trigger problems when

people and

> equipment are pushed beyond their capacity. From a typical kill

rate of 50

> cattle an hour in the early 1900s, production speeds rose

dramatically in

> the 1980s. They now approach 400 per hour in the newest plants.

>

> " It's like the 'I Love Lucy' episode in the chocolate factory, "

she said.

> " You can speed up a job and speed up a job, and after a while you

get to a

> point where performance doesn't simply decline -- it crashes. "

>

> When that happens, it's not only animals that suffer. Industry

trade

> groups acknowledge that improperly stunned animals contribute to

worker

> injuries in an industry that already has the nation's highest rate

of

> job-related injuries and illnesses -- about 27 percent a year. At

some

> plants, " dead " animals have inflicted so many broken limbs and

teeth that

> workers wear chest pads and hockey masks.

>

> " The live cows cause a lot of injuries, " said Martin Fuentes, an

IBP

> worker whose arm was kicked and shattered by a dying cow. " The line

is never

> stopped simply because an animal is alive. "

> A 'Brutal' Harvest

> At IBP's Pasco complex, the making of the American hamburger

starts in a

> noisy, blood-spattered chamber shielded from view by a stainless

steel wall.

> Here, live cattle emerge from a narrow chute to be dispatched in a

process

> known as " knocking " or " stunning. " On most days the chamber is

manned by a

> pair of Mexican immigrants who speak little English and earn about

$9 an

> hour for killing up to 2,050 head per shift.

>

> The tool of choice is the captive-bolt gun, which fires a

retractable

> metal rod into the steer's forehead. An effective stunning requires

a

> precision shot, which workers must deliver hundreds of times daily

to balky,

> frightened animals that frequently weigh 1,000 pounds or more.

Within 12

> seconds of entering the chamber, the fallen steer is shackled to a

moving

> chain to be bled and butchered by other workers in a fast-moving

production

> line.

>

> The hitch, IBP workers say, is that some " stunned " cattle wake up.

>

> " If you put a knife into the cow, it's going to make a noise: It

says,

> 'Moo!' " said Moreno, the former second-legger, who began working

in the

> stockyard last year. " They move the head and the eyes and the leg

like the

> cow wants to walk. "

>

> After a blow to the head, an unconscious animal may kick or

twitch by

> reflex. But a videotape, made secretly by IBP workers and reviewed

by

> veterinarians for The Post, depicts cattle that clearly are alive

and

> conscious after being stunned.

>

> Some cattle, dangling by a leg from the plant's overhead chain,

twist and

> arch their backs as though trying to right themselves. Close-ups

show

> blinking reflexes, an unmistakable sign of a conscious brain,

according to

> guidelines approved by the American Meat Institute.

>

> The video, parts of which were aired by Seattle television

station KING

> last spring, shows injured cattle being trampled. In one graphic

scene,

> workers give a steer electric shocks by jamming a battery-powered

prod into

> its mouth.

>

> More than 20 workers signed affidavits alleging that the

violations shown

> on tape are commonplace and that supervisors are aware of them. The

sworn

> statements and videos were prepared with help from the Humane

Farming

> Association. Some workers had taken part in a 1999 strike over what

they

> said were excessive plant production speeds.

>

> " I've seen thousands and thousands of cows go through the

slaughter

> process alive, " IBP veteran Fuentes, the worker who was injured

while

> working on live cattle, said in an affidavit. " The cows can get

seven

> minutes down the line and still be alive. I've been in the side-

puller where

> they're still alive. All the hide is stripped out down the neck

there. "

>

> IBP, the nation's top beef processor, denounced as an " appalling

> aberration " the problems captured on the tape. It suggested the

events may

> have been staged by " activists trying to raise money and promote

their

> agenda. . . .

>

> " Like many other people, we were very upset over the hidden

camera video, "

> the company said. " We do not in any way condone some of the

livestock

> handling that was shown. "

>

> After the video surfaced, IBP increased worker training and

installed

> cameras in the slaughter area. The company also questioned workers

and

> offered a reward for information leading to identification of those

> responsible for the video. One worker said IBP pressured him to

sign a

> statement denying that he had seen live cattle on the line.

>

> " I knew that what I wrote wasn't true, " said the worker, who did

not want

> to be identified for fear of losing his job. " Cows still go alive

every day.

> When cows go alive, it's because they don't give me time to kill

them. "

>

> Independent assessments of the workers' claims have been

inconclusive.

> Washington state officials launched a probe in May that included an

> unannounced plant inspection. The investigators say they were

detained

> outside the facility for an hour while their identities were

checked. They

> saw no acts of animal cruelty once permitted inside.

>

> Grandin, the Colorado State professor, also inspected IBP's

plant, at the

> company's request; that inspection was announced. Although she

observed no

> live cattle being butchered, she concluded that the plant's older-

style

> equipment was " overloaded. " Grandin reviewed parts of the workers'

videotape

> and said there was no mistaking what she saw.

>

> " There were fully alive beef on that rail, " Grandin said.

> Inconsistent Enforcement

> Preventing this kind of suffering is officially a top priority

for the

> USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service. By law, a humane-slaughter

violation

> is among a handful of offenses that can result in an immediate halt

in

> production -- and cost a meatpacker hundreds or even thousands of

dollars

> per idle minute.

>

> In reality, many inspectors describe humane slaughter as a blind

spot:

> Inspectors' regular duties rarely take them to the chambers where

stunning

> occurs. Inconsistencies in enforcement, training and record-keeping

hamper

> the agency's ability to identify problems.

>

> The meat inspectors' union, in its petition last spring to

Washington

> state's attorney general, contended that federal agents are " often

prevented

> from carrying out " the mandate against animal cruelty. Among the

obstacles

> inspectors face are " dramatic increases in production speeds, lack

of

> support from supervisors in plants and district offices . . . new

inspection

> policies which significantly reduce our enforcement authority, and

little to

> no access to the areas of the plants where animals are killed, "

stated the

> petition by the National Joint Council of Food Inspection Locals.

>

> Barbara Masters, the agency's director of slaughter operations,

told meat

> industry executives in February she didn't know if the number of

violations

> was up or down, though she believed most plants were complying with

the law.

> " We encourage the district offices to monitor trends, " she

said. " The fact

> that we haven't heard anything suggests there are no trends. "

>

> But some inspectors see little evidence the agency is interested

in

> hearing about problems. Under the new inspection system, the USDA

stopped

> tracking the number of violations and dropped all mentions of humane

> slaughter from its list of rotating tasks for inspectors.

>

> The agency says it expects its watchdogs to enforce the law

anyway. Many

> inspectors still do, though some occasionally wonder if it's worth

the

> trouble.

>

> " It always ends up in argument: Instead of re-stunning the

animal, you

> spend 20 minutes just talking about it, " said Colorado meat

inspector Gary

> Dahl, sharing his private views. " Yes, the animal will be dead in a

few

> minutes anyway. But why not let him die with dignity? "

>

> Would you like to send this article to a friend? Go to

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> C 2004 The Washington Post Company

June 14, 2005

HI Anouk

Cows are lovely animals. I try to organise a rebellion amongst the

cows in the field at the end of our garden. If only .....

Jo

, " Anouk Sickler " <zurumato@e...>

wrote:

> this breaks my heart. Cows are truly gentle creatures.

> someone once said; to the animals, all humans are nazis.

> I agree with this.

>

> there are many cows, around were I live, I see them, and take

> pictures of them. knowing that they will never reach old age or die

> natural deaths as they should have the right to.

>

> I look at them in the eyes and say to them.

> " someday my friend, there will be justice "

>

> I am emotional and dramatic, upset and angry, but I don't

apologize,

> i have reason to be.

>

> , " Craig Dearth " <cd39@e...> wrote:

> > > >

> >

> > 'They Die Piece by Piece'

> >

> > By Joby Warrick

> >

> > Second of two articles

> >

> > PASCO, Wash.--It takes 25 minutes to turn a live steer into

steak

> at the

> > modern slaughterhouse where Ramon Moreno works. For 20 years, his

> post was

> > " second-legger, " a job that entails cutting hocks off carcasses

as

> they

> > whirl past at a rate of 309 an hour.

> >

> > The cattle were supposed to be dead before they got to Moreno.

> But too

> > often they weren't.

> >

> > " They blink. They make noises, " he said softly. " The head

moves,

> the eyes

> > are wide and looking around. "

> >

> > Still Moreno would cut. On bad days, he says, dozens of animals

> reached

> > his station clearly alive and conscious. Some would survive as

far

> as the

> > tail cutter, the belly ripper, the hide puller. " They die, " said

> Moreno,

> > " piece by piece. "

> >

> > Under a 23-year-old federal law, slaughtered cattle and hogs

> first must be

> > " stunned " -- rendered insensible to pain -- with a blow to the

head

> or an

> > electric shock. But at overtaxed plants, the law is sometimes

> broken, with

> > cruel consequences for animals as well as workers. Enforcement

> records,

> > interviews, videos and worker affidavits describe repeated

> violations of the

> > Humane Slaughter Act at dozens of slaughterhouses, ranging from

the

> > smallest, custom butcheries to modern, automated establishments

> such as the

> > sprawling IBP Inc. plant here where Moreno works.

> >

> > " In plants all over the United States, this happens on a daily

> basis, "

> > said Lester Friedlander, a veterinarian and formerly chief

> government

> > inspector at a Pennsylvania hamburger plant. " I've seen it

happen.

> And I've

> > talked to other veterinarians. They feel it's out of control. "

> >

> > The U.S. Department of Agriculture oversees the treatment of

> animals in

> > meat plants, but enforcement of the law varies dramatically.

While

> a few

> > plants have been forced to halt production for a few hours

because

> of

> > alleged animal cruelty, such sanctions are rare.

> >

> > For example, the government took no action against a Texas beef

> company

> > that was cited 22 times in 1998 for violations that included

> chopping hooves

> > off live cattle. In another case, agency supervisorsfailed to

take

> action on

> > multiple complaints of animal cruelty at a Florida beef plant and

> fired an

> > animal health technician for reporting the problems to the Humane

> Society.

> > The dismissal letter sent to the technician, Tim Walker, said his

> dislosure

> > had " irreparably damaged " the agency's relations with the packing

> plant.

> >

> > " I complained to everyone -- I said, 'Lookit, they're skinning

> live cows

> > in there,' " Walker said. " Always it was the same answer: 'We

know

> it's

> > true. But there's nothing we can do about it.' "

> >

> > In the past three years, a new meat inspection systemthat

shifted

> > responsibility to industry has made it harder to catch and report

> cruelty

> > problems, some federal inspectors say. Under the new system,

> implemented in

> > 1998, the agency no longer tracks the number of humane-slaughter

> violations

> > its inspectors find each year.

> >

> > Some inspectors are so frustrated they're asking outsiders for

> help: The

> > inspectors' union last spring urged Washington state authorities

to

> crack

> > down on alleged animal abuse at the IBP plant in Pasco. In a

> statement, IBP

> > said problems described by workers in its Washington state

> plant " do not

> > accurately represent the way we operate our plants. We take the

> issue of

> > proper livestock handling very seriously. "

> >

> > But the union complained that new government policies and faster

> > production speeds at the plant had " significantly hampered our

> ability to

> > ensure compliance. " Several animal welfare groups joined in the

> petition.

> >

> > " Privatization of meat inspection has meant a quiet death to

the

> already

> > meager enforcement of the Humane Slaughter Act, " said Gail

Eisnitz

> of the

> > Humane Farming Association, a group that advocates better

treatment

> of farm

> > animals. " USDA isn't simply relinquishing its humane-slaughter

> oversight to

> > the meat industry, but is -- without the knowledge and consent of

> Congress

> > -- abandoning this function altogether. "

> >

> > The USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service, which is responsible

> for meat

> > inspection, says it has not relaxed its oversight. In January,

the

> agency

> > ordered a review of 100 slaughterhouses. An FSIS memo reminded

its

> 7,600

> > inspectors they had an " obligation to ensure compliance " with

> > humane-handling laws.

> >

> > The review comes as pressure grows on both industry and

> regulators to

> > improve conditions for the 155 million cattle, hogs, horses and

> sheep

> > slaughtered each year. McDonald's and Burger King have been

subject

> to

> > boycotts by animal rights groups protesting mistreatment of

> livestock.

> >

> > As a result, two years ago McDonald's began requiring suppliers

> to abide

> > by the American Meat Institute's Good Management Practices for

> Animal

> > Handling and Stunning. The company also began conducting annual

> audits of

> > meat plants. Last week, Burger King announced it would require

> suppliers to

> > follow the meat institute's standards.

> >

> > " Burger King Corp. takes the issues of food safety and animal

> welfare very

> > seriously, and we expect our suppliers to comply, " the company

said

> in a

> > statement.

> >

> > Industry groups acknowledge that sloppy killing has tangible

> consequences

> > for consumers as well as company profits. Fear and pain cause

> animals to

> > produce hormones that damage meat and cost companies tens of

> millions of

> > dollars a year in discarded product, according to industry

> estimates.

> >

> > Industry officials say they also recognize an ethical

imperative

> to treat

> > animals with compassion. Science is blurring the distinction

> between the

> > mental processes of humans and lower animals -- discovering, for

> example,

> > that even the lowly rat may dream. Americans thus are becoming

more

> > sensitive to the suffering of food animals, even as they consume

> increasing

> > numbers of them.

> >

> > " Handling animals humanely, " said American Meat Institute

> President J.

> > Patrick Boyle, " is just the right thing to do. "

> >

> > Clearly, not all plants have gotten the message.

> >

> > A Post computer analysis of government enforcement records

found

> 527

> > violations of humane-handling regulations from 1996 to 1997, the

> last years

> > for which complete records were available. The offenses range from

> > overcrowded stockyards to incidents in which live animals were

cut,

> skinned

> > or scalded.

> >

> > Through the Freedom of Information Act, The Post obtained

> enforcement

> > documents from 28 plants that had high numbers of offenses or had

> drawn

> > penalties for violating humane-handling laws. The Post also

> interviewed

> > dozens of current and former federal meat inspectors and

> slaughterhouse

> > workers. A reporter reviewed affidavits and secret video

recordings

> made

> > inside two plants.

> >

> > Among the findings:

> >

> > . One Texas plant, Supreme Beef Packers in Ladonia, had 22

> violations in

> > six months. During one inspection, federal officials found nine

> live cattle

> > dangling from an overhead chain. But managers at the plant, which

> announced

> > last fall it was ceasing operations, resisted USDA warnings,

saying

> its

> > practices were no different than others in the industry. " Other

> plants are

> > not subject to such extensive scrutiny of their stunning

> activities, " the

> > plant complained in a 1997 letter to the USDA.

> >

> > . Government inspectors halted production for a day at the

Calhoun

> Packing

> > Co. beef plant in Palestine, Tex., after inspectors saw cattle

being

> > improperly stunned. " They were still conscious and had good

> reflexes, " B.V.

> > Swamy, a veterinarian and senior USDA official at the plant,

wrote.

> The

> > shift supervisor " allowed the cattle to be hung anyway. " IBP,

which

> owned

> > the plant at the time, contested the findings but " took steps to

> resolve the

> > situation, " including installing video equipment and increasing

> training, a

> > spokesman said. IBP has since sold the plant.

> >

> > . At the Farmers Livestock Cooperative processing plant in

Hawaii,

> > inspectors documented 14 humane-slaughter violations in as many

> months.

> > Records from 1997 and 1998 describe hogs that were walking and

> squealing

> > after being stunned as many as four times. In a memo to USDA, the

> company

> > said it fired the stunner and increased monitoring of the

slaughter

> process.

> >

> > . At an Excel Corp. beef plant in Fort Morgan, Colo., production

> was halted

> > for a day in 1998 after workers allegedly cut off the leg of a

live

> cow

> > whose limbs had become wedged in a piece of machinery. In

imposing

> the

> > sanction, U.S. inspectors cited a string of violations in the

> previous two

> > years, including the cutting and skinning of live cattle. The

> company,

> > responding to one such charge, contended that it was normal for

> animals to

> > blink and arch their backs after being stunned, and

such " muscular

> reaction "

> > can occur up to six hours after death. " None of these reactions

> indicate the

> > animal is still alive, " the company wrote to USDA.

> >

> > . Hogs, unlike cattle, are dunked in tanks of hot water after

they

> are

> > stunned to soften the hides for skinning. As a result, a botched

> slaughter

> > condemns some hogs to being scalded and drowned. Secret videotape

> from an

> > Iowa pork plant shows hogs squealing and kicking as they are

being

> lowered

> > into the water.

> >

> > USDA documents and interviews with inspectors and plant workers

> attributed

> > many of the problems to poor training, faulty or poorly

maintained

> equipment

> > or excessive production speeds. Those problems were identified

five

> years

> > ago in an industry-wide audit by Temple Grandin, an assistant

> professor with

> > Colorado State University's animal sciences department and one of

> the

> > nation's leading experts on slaughter practices.

> >

> > In the early 1990s, Grandin developed the first objective

> standards for

> > treatment of animals in slaughterhouses, which were adopted by

the

> American

> > Meat Institute, the industry's largest trade group. Her initial,

> USDA-funded

> > survey in 1996 was one of the first attempts to grade slaughter

> plants.

> >

> > One finding was a high failure rate among beef plants that use

> stunning

> > devices known as " captive-bolt " guns. Of the plants surveyed,

only

> 36

> > percent earned a rating of " acceptable " or better, meaning cattle

> were

> > knocked unconscious with a single blow at least 95 percent of the

> time.

> >

> > Grandin now conducts annual surveys as a consultant for the

> American Meat

> > Institute and McDonald's Corp. She maintains that the past four

> years have

> > brought dramatic improvements -- mostly because of pressure from

> McDonald's,

> > which sends a team of meat industry auditors into dozens of

plants

> each year

> > to observe slaughter practices.

> >

> > Based on the data collected by McDonald's auditors, the portion

> of beef

> > plants scoring " acceptable " or better climbed to 90 percent in

> 1999. Some

> > workers and inspectors are skeptical of the McDonald's numbers,

and

> Grandin

> > said the industry's performance dropped slightly last year after

> auditors

> > stopped giving notice of some inspections.

> >

> > Grandin said high production speeds can trigger problems when

> people and

> > equipment are pushed beyond their capacity. From a typical kill

> rate of 50

> > cattle an hour in the early 1900s, production speeds rose

> dramatically in

> > the 1980s. They now approach 400 per hour in the newest plants.

> >

> > " It's like the 'I Love Lucy' episode in the chocolate factory, "

> she said.

> > " You can speed up a job and speed up a job, and after a while you

> get to a

> > point where performance doesn't simply decline -- it crashes. "

> >

> > When that happens, it's not only animals that suffer. Industry

> trade

> > groups acknowledge that improperly stunned animals contribute to

> worker

> > injuries in an industry that already has the nation's highest

rate

> of

> > job-related injuries and illnesses -- about 27 percent a year. At

> some

> > plants, " dead " animals have inflicted so many broken limbs and

> teeth that

> > workers wear chest pads and hockey masks.

> >

> > " The live cows cause a lot of injuries, " said Martin Fuentes,

an

> IBP

> > worker whose arm was kicked and shattered by a dying cow. " The

line

> is never

> > stopped simply because an animal is alive. "

> > A 'Brutal' Harvest

> > At IBP's Pasco complex, the making of the American hamburger

> starts in a

> > noisy, blood-spattered chamber shielded from view by a stainless

> steel wall.

> > Here, live cattle emerge from a narrow chute to be dispatched in

a

> process

> > known as " knocking " or " stunning. " On most days the chamber is

> manned by a

> > pair of Mexican immigrants who speak little English and earn

about

> $9 an

> > hour for killing up to 2,050 head per shift.

> >

> > The tool of choice is the captive-bolt gun, which fires a

> retractable

> > metal rod into the steer's forehead. An effective stunning

requires

> a

> > precision shot, which workers must deliver hundreds of times

daily

> to balky,

> > frightened animals that frequently weigh 1,000 pounds or more.

> Within 12

> > seconds of entering the chamber, the fallen steer is shackled to

a

> moving

> > chain to be bled and butchered by other workers in a fast-moving

> production

> > line.

> >

> > The hitch, IBP workers say, is that some " stunned " cattle wake

up.

> >

> > " If you put a knife into the cow, it's going to make a noise:

It

> says,

> > 'Moo!' " said Moreno, the former second-legger, who began working

> in the

> > stockyard last year. " They move the head and the eyes and the leg

> like the

> > cow wants to walk. "

> >

> > After a blow to the head, an unconscious animal may kick or

> twitch by

> > reflex. But a videotape, made secretly by IBP workers and

reviewed

> by

> > veterinarians for The Post, depicts cattle that clearly are alive

> and

> > conscious after being stunned.

> >

> > Some cattle, dangling by a leg from the plant's overhead chain,

> twist and

> > arch their backs as though trying to right themselves. Close-ups

> show

> > blinking reflexes, an unmistakable sign of a conscious brain,

> according to

> > guidelines approved by the American Meat Institute.

> >

> > The video, parts of which were aired by Seattle television

> station KING

> > last spring, shows injured cattle being trampled. In one graphic

> scene,

> > workers give a steer electric shocks by jamming a battery-powered

> prod into

> > its mouth.

> >

> > More than 20 workers signed affidavits alleging that the

> violations shown

> > on tape are commonplace and that supervisors are aware of them.

The

> sworn

> > statements and videos were prepared with help from the Humane

> Farming

> > Association. Some workers had taken part in a 1999 strike over

what

> they

> > said were excessive plant production speeds.

> >

> > " I've seen thousands and thousands of cows go through the

> slaughter

> > process alive, " IBP veteran Fuentes, the worker who was injured

> while

> > working on live cattle, said in an affidavit. " The cows can get

> seven

> > minutes down the line and still be alive. I've been in the side-

> puller where

> > they're still alive. All the hide is stripped out down the neck

> there. "

> >

> > IBP, the nation's top beef processor, denounced as an " appalling

> > aberration " the problems captured on the tape. It suggested the

> events may

> > have been staged by " activists trying to raise money and promote

> their

> > agenda. . . .

> >

> > " Like many other people, we were very upset over the hidden

> camera video, "

> > the company said. " We do not in any way condone some of the

> livestock

> > handling that was shown. "

> >

> > After the video surfaced, IBP increased worker training and

> installed

> > cameras in the slaughter area. The company also questioned

workers

> and

> > offered a reward for information leading to identification of

those

> > responsible for the video. One worker said IBP pressured him to

> sign a

> > statement denying that he had seen live cattle on the line.

> >

> > " I knew that what I wrote wasn't true, " said the worker, who

did

> not want

> > to be identified for fear of losing his job. " Cows still go alive

> every day.

> > When cows go alive, it's because they don't give me time to kill

> them. "

> >

> > Independent assessments of the workers' claims have been

> inconclusive.

> > Washington state officials launched a probe in May that included

an

> > unannounced plant inspection. The investigators say they were

> detained

> > outside the facility for an hour while their identities were

> checked. They

> > saw no acts of animal cruelty once permitted inside.

> >

> > Grandin, the Colorado State professor, also inspected IBP's

> plant, at the

> > company's request; that inspection was announced. Although she

> observed no

> > live cattle being butchered, she concluded that the plant's older-

> style

> > equipment was " overloaded. " Grandin reviewed parts of the

workers'

> videotape

> > and said there was no mistaking what she saw.

> >

> > " There were fully alive beef on that rail, " Grandin said.

> > Inconsistent Enforcement

> > Preventing this kind of suffering is officially a top priority

> for the

> > USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service. By law, a humane-slaughter

> violation

> > is among a handful of offenses that can result in an immediate

halt

> in

> > production -- and cost a meatpacker hundreds or even thousands of

> dollars

> > per idle minute.

> >

> > In reality, many inspectors describe humane slaughter as a

blind

> spot:

> > Inspectors' regular duties rarely take them to the chambers where

> stunning

> > occurs. Inconsistencies in enforcement, training and record-

keeping

> hamper

> > the agency's ability to identify problems.

> >

> > The meat inspectors' union, in its petition last spring to

> Washington

> > state's attorney general, contended that federal agents

are " often

> prevented

> > from carrying out " the mandate against animal cruelty. Among the

> obstacles

> > inspectors face are " dramatic increases in production speeds,

lack

> of

> > support from supervisors in plants and district offices . . . new

> inspection

> > policies which significantly reduce our enforcement authority,

and

> little to

> > no access to the areas of the plants where animals are killed, "

> stated the

> > petition by the National Joint Council of Food Inspection Locals.

> >

> > Barbara Masters, the agency's director of slaughter operations,

> told meat

> > industry executives in February she didn't know if the number of

> violations

> > was up or down, though she believed most plants were complying

with

> the law.

> > " We encourage the district offices to monitor trends, " she

> said. " The fact

> > that we haven't heard anything suggests there are no trends. "

> >

> > But some inspectors see little evidence the agency is

interested

> in

> > hearing about problems. Under the new inspection system, the USDA

> stopped

> > tracking the number of violations and dropped all mentions of

humane

> > slaughter from its list of rotating tasks for inspectors.

> >

> > The agency says it expects its watchdogs to enforce the law

> anyway. Many

> > inspectors still do, though some occasionally wonder if it's

worth

> the

> > trouble.

> >

> > " It always ends up in argument: Instead of re-stunning the

> animal, you

> > spend 20 minutes just talking about it, " said Colorado meat

> inspector Gary

> > Dahl, sharing his private views. " Yes, the animal will be dead in

a

> few

> > minutes anyway. But why not let him die with dignity? "

> >

> > Would you like to send this article to a friend? Go to

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> > C 2004 The Washington Post Company

June 14, 2005

Hi Anouk

> this breaks my heart. Cows are truly gentle creatures.

> someone once said; to the animals, all humans are nazis.

> I agree with this.

I'd have to disagree... I'm certainly not a nazi to animals, and I suspect

most of us on this list aren't.

BB

Peter

June 14, 2005

.... and I think I can vouch for the fact that animals do not think

Peter is a nazi. He has this funny effect on animals - they like to

be near him, and he even has butterflies landing on him.

Jo

, metalscarab@c... wrote:

> Hi Anouk

>

> > this breaks my heart. Cows are truly gentle creatures.

> > someone once said; to the animals, all humans are nazis.

> > I agree with this.

>

> I'd have to disagree... I'm certainly not a nazi to animals, and I

suspect

> most of us on this list aren't.

>

> BB

> Peter

June 14, 2005

I have to agree with Peter on this one. (darnit)

But I can see how some animals, especially the abused would think so.

Nikki

, metalscarab@c... wrote:

> Hi Anouk

>

> > this breaks my heart. Cows are truly gentle creatures.

> > someone once said; to the animals, all humans are nazis.

> > I agree with this.

>

> I'd have to disagree... I'm certainly not a nazi to animals, and I

suspect

> most of us on this list aren't.

>

> BB

> Peter

June 14, 2005

And I'll vouch for Jo who is vouching for Peter who is vouching for

the animals.

I've never known Jo not to tell the truth and/or speak straight

forward.

Nikki

, " heartwerk " <heartwork@c...>

wrote:

> ... and I think I can vouch for the fact that animals do not think

> Peter is a nazi. He has this funny effect on animals - they like

to

> be near him, and he even has butterflies landing on him.

>

> Jo

>

> , metalscarab@c... wrote:

> > Hi Anouk

> >

> > > this breaks my heart. Cows are truly gentle creatures.

> > > someone once said; to the animals, all humans are nazis.

> > > I agree with this.

> >

> > I'd have to disagree... I'm certainly not a nazi to animals, and

I

> suspect

> > most of us on this list aren't.

> >

> > BB

> > Peter

June 14, 2005

LOL! It was always strange when Peter was a boy, how dogs would see him

coming, and they just put their heads on one side, picked up their ears, and

made every effort to get to him. Our last budgie companion adored Peter -

and although he loved the rest of us, we didn't get a look in if Peter was

around :-)

Jo

> And I'll vouch for Jo who is vouching for Peter who is vouching for

> the animals.

>

> I've never known Jo not to tell the truth and/or speak straight

> forward.

>

> Nikki

>

> , " heartwerk " <heartwork@c...>

> wrote:

> > ... and I think I can vouch for the fact that animals do not think

> > Peter is a nazi. He has this funny effect on animals - they like

> to

> > be near him, and he even has butterflies landing on him.

> >

> > Jo

> >

> > , metalscarab@c... wrote:

> > > Hi Anouk

> > >

> > > > this breaks my heart. Cows are truly gentle creatures.

> > > > someone once said; to the animals, all humans are nazis.

> > > > I agree with this.

> > >

> > > I'd have to disagree... I'm certainly not a nazi to animals, and

> I

> > suspect

> > > most of us on this list aren't.

> > >

> > > BB

> > > Peter

>

> To send an email to -

>

June 14, 2005

Like all animals, humans come in a wide spectrum. As do cattle (not cows,

folks) which are only gentle creatures IF they don't have horns and aren't

in small spaces or don't have young and have lots to eat and no competition.

Lynda, who knows because the last rescue she did was a young calf (gored)

who had the audacity to get too close to a cow that simply didn't like the

way the calf looked!

-

<metalscarab

Tuesday, June 14, 2005 3:34 AM

Re: Re: FW: A washingtonpost.com article FYI

> Hi Anouk

>

> > this breaks my heart. Cows are truly gentle creatures.

> > someone once said; to the animals, all humans are nazis.

> > I agree with this.

>

> I'd have to disagree... I'm certainly not a nazi to animals, and I suspect

> most of us on this list aren't.

>

> BB

> Peter

>

> To send an email to -

>

June 14, 2005

O.K., that's it. Peter, you have to come over here and go to the place that

you can drive through that has wild critters. No one else will go with me

cause the wild critters want to come up and " talk. " Bet you wouldn't be

afraid of the rhino and mountain lion like the rest of the scaredy cats are!

Lynda

-

Jo Cwazy <heartwork

Tuesday, June 14, 2005 10:02 AM

Re: Re: FW: A washingtonpost.com article FYI

> LOL! It was always strange when Peter was a boy, how dogs would see him

> coming, and they just put their heads on one side, picked up their ears,

and

> made every effort to get to him. Our last budgie companion adored Peter -

> and although he loved the rest of us, we didn't get a look in if Peter was

> around :-)

>

> Jo

>

> > And I'll vouch for Jo who is vouching for Peter who is vouching for

> > the animals.

> >

> > I've never known Jo not to tell the truth and/or speak straight

> > forward.

> >

> > Nikki

> >

> > , " heartwerk " <heartwork@c...>

> > wrote:

> > > ... and I think I can vouch for the fact that animals do not think

> > > Peter is a nazi. He has this funny effect on animals - they like

> > to

> > > be near him, and he even has butterflies landing on him.

> > >

> > > Jo

> > >

> > > , metalscarab@c... wrote:

> > > > Hi Anouk

> > > >

> > > > > this breaks my heart. Cows are truly gentle creatures.

> > > > > someone once said; to the animals, all humans are nazis.

> > > > > I agree with this.

> > > >

> > > > I'd have to disagree... I'm certainly not a nazi to animals, and

> > I

> > > suspect

> > > > most of us on this list aren't.

> > > >

> > > > BB

> > > > Peter

> >

> > To send an email to -

> >

June 14, 2005

Now that's sweet!

Nikki

, " Jo Cwazy " <heartwork@c...> wrote:

> LOL! It was always strange when Peter was a boy, how dogs would

see him

> coming, and they just put their heads on one side, picked up their

ears, and

> made every effort to get to him. Our last budgie companion adored

Peter -

> and although he loved the rest of us, we didn't get a look in if

Peter was

> around :-)

>

> Jo

>

> > And I'll vouch for Jo who is vouching for Peter who is vouching

for

> > the animals.

> >

> > I've never known Jo not to tell the truth and/or speak straight

> > forward.

> >

> > Nikki

> >

> > , " heartwerk " <heartwork@c...>

> > wrote:

> > > ... and I think I can vouch for the fact that animals do not

think

> > > Peter is a nazi. He has this funny effect on animals - they

like

> > to

> > > be near him, and he even has butterflies landing on him.

> > >

> > > Jo

> > >

> > > , metalscarab@c... wrote:

> > > > Hi Anouk

> > > >

> > > > > this breaks my heart. Cows are truly gentle creatures.

> > > > > someone once said; to the animals, all humans are nazis.

> > > > > I agree with this.

> > > >

> > > > I'd have to disagree... I'm certainly not a nazi to animals,

and

> > I

> > > suspect

> > > > most of us on this list aren't.

> > > >

> > > > BB

> > > > Peter

> >

> > To send an email to -

> >

June 15, 2005

Oh Lynda can I come too?!

PLEASE!!!!

I won't be scared I promise!

Nikki

, " Lynda " <lurine@s...> wrote:

> O.K., that's it. Peter, you have to come over here and go to the

place that

> you can drive through that has wild critters. No one else will go

with me

> cause the wild critters want to come up and " talk. " Bet you

wouldn't be

> afraid of the rhino and mountain lion like the rest of the scaredy

cats are!

>

> Lynda

> -

> Jo Cwazy <heartwork@c...>

>

> Tuesday, June 14, 2005 10:02 AM

> Re: Re: FW: A washingtonpost.com article FYI

>

> > LOL! It was always strange when Peter was a boy, how dogs would

see him

> > coming, and they just put their heads on one side, picked up

their ears,

> and

> > made every effort to get to him. Our last budgie companion

adored Peter -

> > and although he loved the rest of us, we didn't get a look in if

Peter was

> > around :-)

> >

> > Jo

> >

> > > And I'll vouch for Jo who is vouching for Peter who is

vouching for

> > > the animals.

> > >

> > > I've never known Jo not to tell the truth and/or speak straight

> > > forward.

> > >

> > > Nikki

> > >

> > > , " heartwerk " <heartwork@c...>

> > > wrote:

> > > > ... and I think I can vouch for the fact that animals do not

think

> > > > Peter is a nazi. He has this funny effect on animals - they

like

> > > to

> > > > be near him, and he even has butterflies landing on him.

> > > >

> > > > Jo

> > > >

> > > > , metalscarab@c... wrote:

> > > > > Hi Anouk

> > > > >

> > > > > > this breaks my heart. Cows are truly gentle creatures.

> > > > > > someone once said; to the animals, all humans are nazis.

> > > > > > I agree with this.

> > > > >

> > > > > I'd have to disagree... I'm certainly not a nazi to

animals, and

> > > I

> > > > suspect

> > > > > most of us on this list aren't.

> > > > >

> > > > > BB

> > > > > Peter

> > >

> > > To send an email to -

> > >

June 15, 2005

Hi Lynda

> O.K., that's it. Peter, you have to come over here and go to the place

> that

> you can drive through that has wild critters. No one else will go with me

> cause the wild critters want to come up and " talk. " Bet you wouldn't be

> afraid of the rhino and mountain lion like the rest of the scaredy cats

> are!

Ahem... umm, actually, I think I'd be terrified... I get nervous around

horses (although they still seem to want to " talk " !!!)

BB

Peter

June 15, 2005

they still have those wildlife safari type places??????!!!! nikki_mackovitch Jun 15, 2005 2:47 AM Re: FW: A washingtonpost.com article FYI Oh Lynda can I come too?!PLEASE!!!!I won't be scared I promise!Nikki , "Lynda" <lurine@s...> wrote:> O.K., that's it. Peter, you have to come over here and go to the place that> you can drive through that has wild critters. No one else will go with me> cause the wild critters want to come up and "talk." Bet you wouldn't be> afraid of the rhino and mountain lion like the rest of the scaredy cats are!> > Lynda> -> Jo Cwazy <heartwork@c...>> > Tuesday, June 14, 2005 10:02 AM> Re: Re: FW: A washingtonpost.com article FYI> > > > LOL! It was always strange when Peter was a boy, how dogs would see him> > coming, and they just put their heads on one side, picked up their ears,> and> > made every effort to get to him. Our last budgie companion adored Peter -> > and although he loved the rest of us, we didn't get a look in if Peter was> > around :-)> >> > Jo> >> >> > > And I'll vouch for Jo who is vouching for Peter who is vouching for> > > the animals.> > >> > > I've never known Jo not to tell the truth and/or speak straight> > > forward.> > >> > > Nikki > > >> > >> > >> > > , "heartwerk" <heartwork@c...>> > > wrote:> > > > ... and I think I can vouch for the fact that animals do not think> > > > Peter is a nazi. He has this funny effect on animals - they like> > > to> > > > be near him, and he even has butterflies landing on him.> > > >> > > > Jo> > > >> > > > , metalscarab@c... wrote:> > > > > Hi Anouk> > > > >> > > > > > this breaks my heart. Cows are truly gentle creatures.> > > > > > someone once said; to the animals, all humans are nazis.> > > > > > I agree with this.> > > > >> > > > > I'd have to disagree... I'm certainly not a nazi to animals, and> > > I> > > > suspect> > > > > most of us on this list aren't.> > > > >> > > > > BB> > > > > Peter> > >> > >> > >> > >> > > To send an email to - > > >

June 15, 2005

Sure. We can rent a van and a bunch of us can go and sit around and talk to

the critters.

I'll have to find my pictures of the birds and little critters that have

come up and sat on my feet or in front of me and looked in the camera to get

their pictures taken.

Lynda

-

nikki_mackovitch <nikkimack

Wednesday, June 15, 2005 2:47 AM

Re: FW: A washingtonpost.com article FYI

> Oh Lynda can I come too?!

>

> PLEASE!!!!

>

> I won't be scared I promise!

>

> Nikki

>

> , " Lynda " <lurine@s...> wrote:

> > O.K., that's it. Peter, you have to come over here and go to the

> place that

> > you can drive through that has wild critters. No one else will go

> with me

> > cause the wild critters want to come up and " talk. " Bet you

> wouldn't be

> > afraid of the rhino and mountain lion like the rest of the scaredy

> cats are!

> >

> > Lynda

> > -

> > Jo Cwazy <heartwork@c...>

> >

> > Tuesday, June 14, 2005 10:02 AM

> > Re: Re: FW: A washingtonpost.com article FYI

> >

> > > LOL! It was always strange when Peter was a boy, how dogs would

> see him

> > > coming, and they just put their heads on one side, picked up

> their ears,

> > and

> > > made every effort to get to him. Our last budgie companion

> adored Peter -

> > > and although he loved the rest of us, we didn't get a look in if

> Peter was

> > > around :-)

> > >

> > > Jo

> > >

> > > > And I'll vouch for Jo who is vouching for Peter who is

> vouching for

> > > > the animals.

> > > >

> > > > I've never known Jo not to tell the truth and/or speak straight

> > > > forward.

> > > >

> > > > Nikki

> > > >

> > > > , " heartwerk " <heartwork@c...>

> > > > wrote:

> > > > > ... and I think I can vouch for the fact that animals do not

> think

> > > > > Peter is a nazi. He has this funny effect on animals - they

> like

> > > > to

> > > > > be near him, and he even has butterflies landing on him.

> > > > >

> > > > > Jo

> > > > >

> > > > > , metalscarab@c... wrote:

> > > > > > Hi Anouk

> > > > > >

> > > > > > > this breaks my heart. Cows are truly gentle creatures.

> > > > > > > someone once said; to the animals, all humans are nazis.

> > > > > > > I agree with this.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > I'd have to disagree... I'm certainly not a nazi to

> animals, and

> > > > I

> > > > > suspect

> > > > > > most of us on this list aren't.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > BB

> > > > > > Peter

> > > >

> > > > To send an email to -

>

> > > >

June 15, 2005

What??!! Scared of horses?????? NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All my illusions

have now been ruined!

Lynda

-

<metalscarab

Wednesday, June 15, 2005 6:54 AM

Re: Re: FW: A washingtonpost.com article FYI

> Hi Lynda

>

> > O.K., that's it. Peter, you have to come over here and go to the place

> > that

> > you can drive through that has wild critters. No one else will go with

me

> > cause the wild critters want to come up and " talk. " Bet you wouldn't be

> > afraid of the rhino and mountain lion like the rest of the scaredy cats

> > are!

>

> Ahem... umm, actually, I think I'd be terrified... I get nervous around

> horses (although they still seem to want to " talk " !!!)

>

> BB

> Peter

>

> To send an email to -

>

June 15, 2005

Hi Lynda

> What??!! Scared of horses?????? NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All my illusions

> have now been ruined!

Don't think I'd go so far as " scared " - just nervous...

BB

Peter

June 16, 2005

I disagree with myself and now agree with you.

perhaps a better statement might be the animals in Farm and Fur

factories believe that most or all humans are cruel monsters.

after seeing the undercover investigations of Peta, I know that there

probably wasn't a Vegan person in sight, except the one undercover.

, metalscarab@c... wrote:

> Hi Anouk

>

> > this breaks my heart. Cows are truly gentle creatures.

> > someone once said; to the animals, all humans are nazis.

> > I agree with this.

>

> I'd have to disagree... I'm certainly not a nazi to animals, and I

suspect

> most of us on this list aren't.

>

> BB

> Peter

June 16, 2005

That is great about the butterflies Peter. I really believe sometimes

that animals " sense " which people are vegans and which are not.

I slso, have a special sensitivity with animals, and by some cosmic

magic, have found many injured animals of all types, along my path..

needing to be rescued.

, " heartwerk " <heartwork@c...> wrote:

> ... and I think I can vouch for the fact that animals do not think

> Peter is a nazi. He has this funny effect on animals - they like to

> be near him, and he even has butterflies landing on him.

>

> Jo

>

June 16, 2005

Hi lynda,

I agree, currently I must have about 300, tadpoles floating around in

a little pond which we made, I believe that they each have their own

little personality even thought they all look the same

I have never had a cow, nor touched one. But in my town we have lots

of cattle eating grass on the pasture.

You see them as you go by on the road.

there is one particular scene nearby which disturbs me every time I

pass by.

It is a bill board, right underneath where the cows/cattle are

peacefully eating grass, it says " beef it's what's for dinner "

and then underneath it says american cattle association or something

like that.

I find this sick.

I guess what I meant with " cows being gentle creatures " is that they

are vegetarian and don't attack humans unless feeling in defense or

territorial, like you said.(correct me if I am wrong).

I like the knowledge of hands-on farm life that you bring to this

list.

I wonder why would the matadors need to provoke a bull in order to

get him mad and stick him with so many knives? Matador literally

means Killer in spanish.

That is so great that you rescued a little calf, how is he doing?

, " Lynda " <lurine@s...> wrote:

> Like all animals, humans come in a wide spectrum. As do cattle (not

cows,

> folks) which are only gentle creatures IF they don't have horns and

aren't

> in small spaces or don't have young and have lots to eat and no

competition.

>

> Lynda, who knows because the last rescue she did was a young calf

(gored)

> who had the audacity to get too close to a cow that simply didn't

like the

> way the calf looked!

> >

June 16, 2005

He's all healed, he's now an it and was given to an elderly woman who has a

large pasture and needs something to keep the grass down. We made sure he

was gentle and had good manners first as she is rather old and doesn't need

him to be knocking her down. She's named him Buddy and he now comes when

she calls him.

they are quite the pair. She's rather gimpy and so is he <g> (The cow

sliced up his hind quarters rather nastily and the muscles will never be the

same.)

Lynda

-

Anouk Sickler <zurumato

Wednesday, June 15, 2005 11:00 PM

Re: FW: A washingtonpost.com article FYI

> Hi lynda,

>

> I agree, currently I must have about 300, tadpoles floating around in

> a little pond which we made, I believe that they each have their own

> little personality even thought they all look the same

>

> I have never had a cow, nor touched one. But in my town we have lots

> of cattle eating grass on the pasture.

> You see them as you go by on the road.

>

> there is one particular scene nearby which disturbs me every time I

> pass by.

>

> It is a bill board, right underneath where the cows/cattle are

> peacefully eating grass, it says " beef it's what's for dinner "

> and then underneath it says american cattle association or something

> like that.

> I find this sick.

>

> I guess what I meant with " cows being gentle creatures " is that they

> are vegetarian and don't attack humans unless feeling in defense or

> territorial, like you said.(correct me if I am wrong).

> I like the knowledge of hands-on farm life that you bring to this

> list.

>

> I wonder why would the matadors need to provoke a bull in order to

> get him mad and stick him with so many knives? Matador literally

> means Killer in spanish.

>

> That is so great that you rescued a little calf, how is he doing?

>

> , " Lynda " <lurine@s...> wrote:

> > Like all animals, humans come in a wide spectrum. As do cattle (not

> cows,

> > folks) which are only gentle creatures IF they don't have horns and

> aren't

> > in small spaces or don't have young and have lots to eat and no

> competition.

> >

> > Lynda, who knows because the last rescue she did was a young calf

> (gored)

> > who had the audacity to get too close to a cow that simply didn't

> like the

> > way the calf looked!

> > >

>

> To send an email to -

>

June 16, 2005

Hi Peter

No need to be scared, horses are wonderful animals. Though quite

powerful so I can understand the fear a bit.

If ever in the states let me know and I'll take you riding. We must

ask the horses permission first of course. But it is truly a

wonderful experience.

And since you are so in-tuned to animals, it will probably be even

more amazing for you.

There is nothing like a ride in the woods!

BB

Nikki

, metalscarab@c... wrote:

> Hi Lynda

>

> > O.K., that's it. Peter, you have to come over here and go to

the place

> > that

> > you can drive through that has wild critters. No one else will

go with me

> > cause the wild critters want to come up and " talk. " Bet you

wouldn't be

> > afraid of the rhino and mountain lion like the rest of the

scaredy cats

> > are!

>

> Ahem... umm, actually, I think I'd be terrified... I get nervous

around

> horses (although they still seem to want to " talk " !!!)

>

> BB

> Peter

June 16, 2005

Count me in!

Nikki

, " Lynda " <lurine@s...> wrote:

> Sure. We can rent a van and a bunch of us can go and sit around

and talk to

> the critters.

>

> I'll have to find my pictures of the birds and little critters

that have

> come up and sat on my feet or in front of me and looked in the

camera to get

> their pictures taken.

>

> Lynda

> -

> nikki_mackovitch <nikkimack@m...>

>

> Wednesday, June 15, 2005 2:47 AM

> Re: FW: A washingtonpost.com article FYI

>

> > Oh Lynda can I come too?!

> >

> > PLEASE!!!!

> >

> > I won't be scared I promise!

> >

> > Nikki

> >

> > , " Lynda " <lurine@s...> wrote:

> > > O.K., that's it. Peter, you have to come over here and go to

the

> > place that

> > > you can drive through that has wild critters. No one else

will go

> > with me

> > > cause the wild critters want to come up and " talk. " Bet you

> > wouldn't be

> > > afraid of the rhino and mountain lion like the rest of the

scaredy

> > cats are!

> > >

> > > Lynda

> > > -

> > > Jo Cwazy <heartwork@c...>

> > >

> > > Tuesday, June 14, 2005 10:02 AM

> > > Re: Re: FW: A washingtonpost.com article

FYI

> > >

> > > > LOL! It was always strange when Peter was a boy, how dogs

would

> > see him

> > > > coming, and they just put their heads on one side, picked up

> > their ears,

> > > and

> > > > made every effort to get to him. Our last budgie companion

> > adored Peter -

> > > > and although he loved the rest of us, we didn't get a look

in if

> > Peter was

> > > > around :-)

> > > >

> > > > Jo

> > > >

> > > > > And I'll vouch for Jo who is vouching for Peter who is

> > vouching for

> > > > > the animals.

> > > > >

> > > > > I've never known Jo not to tell the truth and/or speak

straight

> > > > > forward.

> > > > >

> > > > > Nikki

> > > > >

> > > > > , " heartwerk "

<heartwork@c...>

> > > > > wrote:

> > > > > > ... and I think I can vouch for the fact that animals do

not

> > think

> > > > > > Peter is a nazi. He has this funny effect on animals -

they

> > like

> > > > > to

> > > > > > be near him, and he even has butterflies landing on him.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > Jo

> > > > > >

> > > > > > , metalscarab@c...

wrote:

> > > > > > > Hi Anouk

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > this breaks my heart. Cows are truly gentle

creatures.

> > > > > > > > someone once said; to the animals, all humans are

nazis.

> > > > > > > > I agree with this.

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > I'd have to disagree... I'm certainly not a nazi to

> > animals, and

> > > > > I

> > > > > > suspect

> > > > > > > most of us on this list aren't.

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > BB

> > > > > > > Peter

> > > > >

> > > > > To send an email to -

> >

> > > > >

June 16, 2005

Hi Anouk

> That is great about the butterflies Peter. I really believe sometimes

> that animals " sense " which people are vegans and which are not.

Although, the animals were landing on me long before I went vegan - ever

since I was a small child. Although, I suppose in terms of the way I feel

about animals, I've always been vegan-inclined - I just didn't put much

thought into where the food came from until I was in my early 20s.

BB

Peter

June 16, 2005

Hi Nikki

> No need to be scared, horses are wonderful animals. Though quite

> powerful so I can understand the fear a bit.

It's more the size... they're pretty hefty things!

> If ever in the states let me know and I'll take you riding. We must

> ask the horses permission first of course. But it is truly a

> wonderful experience.

I've tried it once and really *didn't* enjoy it - the horse was fine, but

it just wasn't comfortable, and I'm happier walking!

BB

Peter

FW: A washingtonpost.com article FYI

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