when I heard the news, and saw the video of these animals bieng treated like this, ( dragged kicked, beaten and water forced down the throat), it just brought tears to my eyes. God sees it all and one day they are going to pay!!!!

Price, Colorado Springs, USA

I was shocked and saddened by the cruel and callous way these poor cows were treated, and after a life spent providing us with milk. We have seen how badly chickens for meat are kept and how cruel the battery system for producing eggs. Its time we took responsibility for the suffering these animals go through and stopped expecting cheap food. Why should meat be cheap. If we want to eat meat then we must pay enough for the animals to be properly cared for and then slaughtered humanely without suffering.

Elizabeth Hedges, Llanelli, UK

I was so appauld by this video. We all know cruelty exists despite campaingers working hard for many years to make people aware of what goes on. But this almost takes the biscuit. Where is man's humanity. Do these people in the abbatoir not have any feelings, morals, any heart. How can any one hear the terrible crying of these animals and not react. They could humanly kill them and then drag them off with their machinery. In the name of humanity and God, someone, somewhere please stop this.
Micky from U.K.

micky elliott, Essex ,

Overseas readers may recall that some years ago the UK held the biggest BBQ in history due to the disease BSE, much to the delight of our European neighbours.
Amazingly, despite the previous traffic of animals cross channel, very little infection spread abroad, if you believe it - I don't : and our meat was banned for years in Europe.
I didn't look at the videos, but I hope for the sake of our US friends this is not a repeat; a sick animal should not be slaughtered, it should be examined for causes.
Little wonder the company president is 'shocked and horrified' by a video, it probably spells the end of his company.

MikeM, St. Albans, England

Imagine if this happened in China.
Demands from the US Agricultural Lobby for worldwide import bans on Chinese food products at the very least!

Graham Griffiths, North Road Amersham, Buckinghamshire

I can't even bring myself to watch the video, the pictures are enough. This is appalling, no animal should be put through this. These people should be thrown in jail for a long time. If we can put people in jail for not having their drivers license with them, then we should put people in jail for actually harming a living creature. Humans always seem to forget that we are also animals, and the fact that people can hurt animals like this is disgusting. I urge people to buy free range meats, or become vegetarian, and join groups that work to stop animal cruelty.

Abbie, Salt Lake City, Utah

I'm tired of reading comments criticising those of us who
deplore animal cruelty on the grounds that we are ignoring the suffering of human beings. By this reasoning, as long as there is human suffering, no effort should be made to combat the abuse of animals, or any other living creature.

This is completely immoral, specism at its worst.

Trisha, Liverpool, England

I was appalled, after I read the article, and viewed the lengthy video tape presentation of the inhumane treatment of cattle at Westland/Hallmark Slaughterhouse.
I will become an activist for the humane treatment of all farm animals. Shame on human beings for treating God's creatures this way. Who speaks for these animals if not for the activists. I agree with the Vegan way. They are aware of a deeper message, whether it be spiritual or not......they know. Life is not all about money. Don't be fooled.

Robann Heidig, La Mirada, CA

Some things to think about: If you don't support this kind of thing, don't eat meat of opt for humanely slaughtered animals. Nuff said. Oh yeah, the public school system is responsible for more mind rot than any hamburger, so you might think about an alternative form of education.

But those of you who think that more regulation will solve the problem should consider this. It's environmental and public health regulation that has destroyed the family dairies and farms where we used to buy our meat, vegetables and dairy products. That and, of course, our belief that saving 10 cents a pound on hamburger made a real difference in our personal finances.

Once we severed our relationship with local producers we allowed for huge, marginally profitable industries to supply our needs. Figure it out, folks, take responsibility for your actions, stay away from Junk food (why do you think it's called that) and teach your children. And don't be hatin others because they live differently.

Bruce, Tacoma, WA

It's times like this when I'm even more glad to be vegan than usual. As if this was uncommon. Sick.

Elyse, Goleta, CA

I cannot read a comment from someone who mispells Irak and uses "dunno".
Tom from London, you are an absolute fool. Cruelty to animals of any kind; be they human or other, is fundamentally wrong. I pity your children...

Chris George, Copenhagen , Denmark

Part of the reason these images are so disturbing is because much of the population is complicit in the system when they buy meat that is not from an ethical producer.

Richard, London, UK

How can these workers sleep at night after a day of cruelty and disgusting behaviour against innocent animals in the Slautherhouse. I woke up during the night and the first thing came to my mind was this horrible video of these cows and their voices expressing pain and suffering. Shame on all those for having no compassion and feelings and I hope you get what you all deserve in your life time.

Bertiz Benhamid, Charleston, South Carolina

Sure, It's wrong to treat sick animals like that (although what can you do with them, let them die slowly on the spot? They probably shouldn't have made the way to the slaughterhouse at the 1st time, I dunno...) and unsanitary to send them to be eaten by humans. Stricter controls must be put in place alongside tougher punishments. But some of the offended reactions of the "What have the world come to?" type live me quite puzzled. Haven't you seen for the last 50 years footage of people being killed in war-torn countries, children being used as sex slaves, dying of hunger? You've surely seen footages of Darfur, Irak and such, it's weird that it's that particular video (disturbing it's true) brings you to say that the world has become an awful place since things of a way worse nature has been happening for decades in front of your eyes to innocent HUMANS.

Tom, London,

This video is disgusting,,,how can this sort of animal cruely and abuse still go on in this day and age,,,,,why hasnt someone reported this b4 now,,,,how can all them others seein this abuse in front of there eyes,,,do nothin,,,i am glad that someone had the courage to video it and bring this to the attention of the world to see,,,,get ur act together America,,,,and stand and be counted,,,,dont let this barbaric abuse continue,,,,xXx

Myfanwy, South Wales UK,

I am not surprised of the cruelty that human beings inflict on animals these same people would mug, rape and kill each other. I wonder if the people that do these terrible things were your typical school bully with sheepish followers.
Why does society allow these practices without proper punishment, life in prison and tell the inmates the cruelty they inflicted on simple animals and let human nature take its course.

chris, christchurch, england

Go vegetarian. There is nothing humane about killing- whichever way its done.

Suresh, Delhi, India

Westland and Hallmark should be driven out of business. It is horrifying that they would allow this kind of treatment and not even consider that if an animal is that ill, it shouldn't be in the food supply.

I hope everyone who reads this boycotts their beef and upstanding cattle ranchers find others to buy their beef.

I also am grateful for the individuals brave and caring enough to bring the video the the attention of the world.

The inspections should include anti-cruelty standards asap!

LMaccarthy, Shirley, MA

It is sad to see how helpless animals such as livestock are still treated in this country. Considering the lives of cattle are sacrificed so we can eat beef, they should be treated compassionately and humanely throughout their lives, including their slaughter. Certainly we can figure out totally painless and humane ways to end the lives of both sick and healthy cattle.
Cattle can sense pain and suffering, just as humans can, and certainly they have some degree of feelings. As humans and shepherds of God's creatures, we need to treat them much better and prevent them from experiencing pain and suffering. We can only hope that God's angels took the souls of these poor animals to a happier place before they experienced too much cruelty and pain.
The FDA is severely underfunded and under staffed in regard to inspecting food sources. We need more people to blow the whistle on companies that practice this type of unethical behavior that threatens to contaminate our food supply.

Jeff Brant, Cartersville, GA

I have been a vegetarian for 22 years. Other than quitting smoking, it has been the healthiest thing I have done in my life, both physically and spiritually. I urge everyone who is considering going vegetarian to go ahead and do it. It will bring you much peace of mind and will benefit the environment also, since cattle production contributes massively to global warming. And one more thing, I find vegetarian cuisine to be very interesting with alot of healthy choices.

Steven, San Francisco, California

it is the reason i became vegetarian.i was getting some info about having some chickens in my backyard and came upon some sites about slaughterhouse and the abuse that takes place there every day and not just beef but all farm animals who by the way do not have the protection of a crueltylaw simply because they are FARM animals.sir Paul McCartney ones sad if all slaugterhouses had glass walls the world whould be vegetarian. Stop eating meat and you can save up to a hundred animals per year.Now that tastes better then any thing to me.By the way i did get my chickens 24 hens and 3 roosters and they all will live there life in peace in there coop thats called NOT FOR DUMPLINGS.From margie blackburn louisa ky

margie blackburn, louisa, ky

I am absolutely horrified that animals would be treated in this way, especially ones that have provided milk to us for a long time! I can't believe that we would be so cruel to these animals that have done nothing to us!!! It is unacceptable, and I have not bought as much beef because of this. Whatever I can do to help this, I would certainly do it. It should not be just because of the dangers to us, but because cruelty of any animal is just plain NOT OKAY EVER!!!!!

Cindy Stevens, Vancouver, WA

These people should be treated as they have treated these poor animals, sick or not they all deserve to live and die in humane ways.

I think I have officially become a vegan after this video god what has this country come to...

PJ, Newark, NJ,

Folks, pay attention the next time the so-called "Center for Consumer Freedom" pops up and starts talking against HSUS and other animal groups on some pretext.

The CCF hates HSUS precisely because of the work HSUS and others do in exposing the abominations toward sentient creatures committed by its (CCF's) big business stakeholders in the name of the almighty buck. Tragic as this is, HSUS' footage really is only the tip of the iceberg.

And please think about that when considering your dietary choices, because if you are a meat eater, such mistreatment is being done in your name, and in the name of your children.

SB, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

In recent years I have had digestive problems caused by tainted food. I was given a regimen of antibiotics and I am supposedly fine now, but all I know is that 2 years ago, I was eating normally and now I have alot of difficulty swallowing certain foods. When I hear of cases such as this one, I have to ask, where was the USDA when all of this was happening? Did I contract my illness from tainted meat? I have to say, I am leaning more and more towards becoming a vegetarian after seeing this footage. Not only is this grossly inhumane treatment to the poor animals involved, but it is truly a discredit to us as a society, that our own government blinds its eyes to such cruelty and shrugs its shoulders w/statements such as "I don't THINK this poses a risk" and "most of the meat has probably been eaten already anyway..." There are people out there who did eat this meat and years down the road, they will be suffering the health consequences and who will be there to help them? -CW, SC

CHRISTINA WHEELER, GREENVILLE, USA/SC

How heartbreaking! Animals are sacred and should be treated with compassion. I enjoy the nourishment of meat, but do so with respect for where that nourishment comes from. It is OUR responsibility to be in the know about where food comes from when we choose to eat out and parents should take a stand to protect their children by getting INVOLVED. We are all walking around with ignorance to some degree or another. It's time that we open our eyes and our HEARTS to the realities that shouldn't be. We can help change this by RESEARCHING good and humane companies, buy ORGANIC and start caring about where our food comes from. Perhaps choosing an alternative to fast food is a good start. Money talks louder than anything in this culture, so let's start spending it on the right organizations.

Angela, San Rafael, Marin, CA

Why are we so fooled into thinking that the highest members of this company had no knowledge of this. Whether these workers get paid exta to make sure every cow makes it to slaughter, or some other financial motivation, it is happening and this was at one facility. Inspectors must be getting paid off for this to be happening. These acts were carried out by humans who were not at all worrried about getting caught. The scary thing is that it will stop for a while and then it will continue; that is unless the people come together and make a statement.

Armand Piscopo, north Haven, CT

Laura H-
What kind of people work in these places? - Largely legal and illegal immigrants. People with no education or training. They sleep at night in the "bad" part of town. Why? It is not that local residents will not work the jobs (as some have suggested), rather, it is they will not work the jobs for $9.00/hr. I work in a plant that employees 2000. We have Bosnian, Asian, Hispanic, and African immigrants, in 15 languages.

Meat Packer, marshalltown, iowa

What happened here? Some dept needs to oversee the US AG as they are not doing their job. This video is so disgusting and shows just one incident that was caught. We don't want to see another, yet there has to be something that can be done. Why are they still opened? Fine them from the top down to the men who did the abuse to these downed animals. God was watching you. If we as humans cannot step up and be advocates for the animals on this planet then that is really a sad thing. When an animal is downed, they are so ill from (infection, disease, or crippled from a virus that cannot be controlled), that they are dying. Then to be tortured on the way out is just so disgustingly inhumane.

This food is going to fast food chains and our childrens lunches. Unbelievable that the Humane Society and PETA had to let the US Ag Dept know about this video.

I don't even want beef again after this.

Were these men aware of the rules, or could they speak English? Are just dumb

KK, Tampa, FL

Sorry Diana of Fort Wayne Indiana ,no! there is no need to produce meat for human consumption , humans can live a healthy life without eating meat . These animals are abused and killed because humans haven't got the compassion or the guts to make a moral choice . Also because of the demand for meat is increasing we are encouraging and funding the meat industry and eating meat like this is a guilty pleasure and is the consumption of an inhumane, forest ravaging, poverty inducing product which will come back to haunt us .

Jean Bennington, Prestatyn, Brtain

That's it...I'm done with beef. I don't need to see anymore. For years I've been eating less and less beef and this video has sealed it for me. I'm turning to complete vegan. I can't take it anymore. What kind of people work in these slaughterhouses. Is it always all just the money? Don't these people have any sense of a conscience of morality? How do they sleep at night? I've read comment on blogs and chat board that say, they're just dumb animals. It's sickening to think we live in such a heartless world.

Laura Hegeman , Glenmont, NY

There is more outrage in this forum on ill treatment of animals than on human beings in Iraq and Afghanistan. Perhaps the company should seek advice from CIA on waterboarding techniques. That should make the cattle moving....

John Taylor, NY,

As a Veterinarian, I would like to see more of these common abuse cases being prosecuted, to make the public more aware of what suffering many animals are going thru before they enter the food chain.
Thank goodness the humane society does this work.
I do not believe Kosher or even Halal methods are the answer, as I do not believe severing the arteries of animals not stunned and allowing them to bleed to death fully aware is humane either. Unfortunately much of the meat processed by this religious slaughter method enters the normal food chain and does not go only to people practicing these religions.

P Damien Cunningham MRCVS, Camden, SC/USA

A United Nations report has identified the world's rapidly growing herds of cattle as the greatest threat to the climate, forests and wildlife. And they are blamed for a host of other environmental crimes, from acid rain to the introduction of alien species, from producing deserts to creating dead zones in the oceans, from poisoning rivers and drinking water to destroying coral reefs.

The 400-page report by the Food and Agricultural Organisation, entitled Livestock's Long Shadow, also surveys the damage done by sheep, chickens, pigs and goats. But in almost every case, the world's 1.5 billion cattle are most to blame. Cows are responsible for 18 per cent of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming, more than cars, planes and all other forms of transport put together.

Start eating Veggi Burgers and Salads

mohsen, malaga, spain

a slaughter house at the best of times is dubious viewing.I used to send sheep to the local one where everything was very humane and well done: the EEC shut down a lot of these and concentrated on big ones where an often long jouney for the animals was necessary and then they were merely part of a chain system and being handled as such:
progress i think not
but i wouldlike to ask a geuine question __how do you handle "downers" which are in a crowd answer the theory first and then i would like to see it done in practice inside a slaughterhouse

john, nice, france

All the write up about keep the meat organic and free range fails to take into account that the abuse of the meat can take place along the entire food beyond the slaughter house and right up to the grocery stores where sometimes colors are added to make the meat look appetizing. We all share a responsibility given our collective embrace of the hurry up societies we've created and our addiction to convenience.

KOJINATOR, provo, US/UT

Waterboarding cows? - well the US Govt does it to humans and it isn't torture. If you are a cow that makes it alright then.

The meat industry stinks wherever it operates in the world.

Jim, Sheffield, UK

This video contains no big surprises, but it highlights the enormous question of guilt and complicity with which meat eaters, myself included, are faced. We are addicted to cruelty, and we're putting off the question of what to do about it.

Roland, Toronto, Canada

I agree this is a result of the cheap food industry we now live in, but don't be fooled that "free range" or "organic" is anything different -they all enter a slaughter house at the end, and what counts as "free range" is still a feed lot in most cases not a happy cow out to pasture like we would want to think.

Perhaps people can serious look at how their purchases influence this industry and put your money where your conscience is.
My money goes to vegetables!

Helen, cincinnati, USA

It's the consumer who is really to blame here.


The meat industry is driven by the market's desire for cheap meat, no wonder you see immoral, and dangerous business practices.

People should pay a little more - like buying organic-meat so you know animals are less lightly to be exposed to unethical practices.

Michael Cole , Amsterdam,

It's always amazing how the upper management in this particular company all of a sudden knew nothing and was shocked?? yeah right I believe he knew nothing,He needs to go home and never come back, What a cop-out He knew all along who does he think he is kidding???

Denny, Mishawaka, In

What a sad commentary on the modern food chain, that animals rights groups had to bring this to the attention of the company, rather than their own internal controls or government vigilence. Shut the place down. As for consumers, keep your meat organic and free range! At least that way the animals have happy lives before they go off to the slaughterhouse. They taste better then too. Stop expecting meat to be cheap. It costs money to treat animals and workers decently.

SC, London, UK (formerly of NY)

The people who are doing this should be treated as criminals. Cows are just the same as dogs, chickens etc they are helpless animals. The slaughter house owners and staff should go to jail.

Marion, Lakewood, New Jersey

I can't understand what makes people do such inhumane things. To endanger society this way is unbelievable, but to see how they torture such helpless creatures is even unspeakable. What is our world coming to? These people who do such inhumane things should be locked up and never see the light of day again. There has got to be a better way and a more humane way of treating these creatures.

JW, Lititz, Pa

PETA has been trying to spread the word about these types of activities and people treat the PETA activists as if they are crazy. Perhaps if someone would pay a bit of attention to some of their videos, instead of trying to belittle their efforts, we would be able to stop this type of activity that is taking place in all slaughter houses across the world, or at least a great majority of them. Another major impact would be the lack of money people keep dumping into these slaughter houses. The owners and operators of such places do not care anything about the animals. All they care about is the bottom line dollar.

Melissa Davis, Atlanta, GA

This is NOT an isolated incident. I have seen videos like this for years and have not eaten beef since the first time. It is barbaric.

Deborah Bright,, Drumright, OK

Poor children that rely on school lunches to feed them one decent meal a day are being fed the worst foods including this type of recalled meat. There is a huge disparity between what poor school districts are feeding their students than what is being consumed in wealthier school districts. It is unfair that we continue to treat people in need by giving them the worst of everything (food, housing, medical insurance).

Diane, West Hartford, CT

Maybe the FOOD NETWORK should do a better job of educating its viewers about the conditions at some of these large commercial animal operations...and the uncertain quality of their meat products. Most of us seem to prefer ignorance and even avoid knowledge of this obvious cruelty.
For our health, the environment, and especially the welfare of the animals- we should eat less meat....if any.

Nancy Adams Nash, Traverse City, MI USA

Another good reason to keep KOSHER! For over 3500 years kosher eaters and never eaten downer cows or those with a slight injury, even internal, as they are not kosher. Besides for the USDA the rabbis are inspecting them too.

Joe, Chicago,

As usual, we hear only one side of the story, that which promotes hysteria. Why are we not given both sides, so we can form an honest, unbiased position. Of course, anything presented by "the other side" would not be news. To be sure, if this story is at all inaccurate, who cares that those who have the most to loose (those on public aid, etc), will no longer enjoy any benefits of this program that are now possibly lost forever. If I am the company offering this beef to the poor, I simply end the program, why fight the media and the animal rights groups, to hell with it!

DWK, Park Ridge,

I became a vegetarian precisely because of the terrible inhumane treatment of animals that is endemic within in the meat industry. I would like to sincerely thank the Humane Society of the United States for recording this awful treatment and showing that change needs to happen!! If you're going to eat meat, at least make sure the animals are treated humanely!!

Elena Yeo, Singapore,

This is such a gross but clear representation of humanity at its lowest form. How can our society continue to consume food from unknown sources? Much of what this video unfortunately could not show in such a limited time, is the inhumanity these slaughterhouses subject these animals to on a regular basis. Locked in pens not much larger than their body size, steeped in fecal matter, getting them sick, and then abusing them when they get sick. Why are we so less outraged that it is a cow/pig/chicken? I am not a tree hugger, or a vegan, (although should this continue, I may have no choice)-the cry for humanity and our ability to have compassion for our animals must be heard within ourselves. We are capable of finding which areas our food sources come from, and only shopping them.

S. P., Albuquerque, NM,

This made me cry.

Michelle, Gloversville, NY

Here is an example of how our trusted government operate. The American consumer feels confident in purchasing meat and other food products when we see the "stamp of approval from the FDA. Now we have to ask... "What does that stamp even mean?" We see more and more that it is absolutely meaningless. we do not hesitate to pay our taxes, assuming that our government is there to protect us in the small things as well as the bigger issues like international politics and war. When stories like this come out, we have to ask, what are they doing? It is clear that the slaughterhouse in question was not inspected, so why and how did the meat get an FDA stamp of approval. It is high time each and every one of our government agencies take responsibility for their actions.

Alice Hilal, New Canaan, CT

What is important to understand is that this is not a unique case. Animal rights organizations have been warning of mistreatment of animals for years. Also it is not enough to notice these cases in U.S. alone. Animal products are imported and exported around the world. If we talk about abuse of animals, then there can't be any difference between U.S. cows or pigs and animals from fur farms in China, whales and dauphins from Sea of Japan or seals from Canada.

Marko Bajec, Bratislava, Slovakia

At least there's not the coverup as we had in the UK in the 1990.

From another angle - 90% of the energy it takes to produce 1 kilo of beef/meat is wasted-1 kilo of meat takes 90 kilo of feed to produce-- puts carbon footprinting into perspective.

Steve, London,

This is the last straw for me. No more meat for me. This can only be the tip of the iceberg.

Amy, Greenfield, MA

This is the most horrible thing I have seen in a long time. The people involved in this cruelty in any way deserve to have the same thing done to them. How would they like that? How horrible. What were they thinking? This is just awful.

Jenn, Lubbock, TX

Kudos to the HSUS for getting someone undercover to expose the abuse and other criminal acts.

K. Langer, Wrentham, MA

really?? is this really news?? it's not like this is only happening now.
Like Paul and Linda McCartney said "If all the slaughterhouses were made of glass we would all be vegetarians".... oh well maybe not all..

gmr, Newark,

It's getting now to where you can't even trust your kids' school cafeteria to provide them with a good lunch. You might as well start making them sandwiches and sending them with lunch to school the old fashioned way.

David W., Louisville, KY

Treat Steve Mendell the same way these animals have been treated; when he's sick, make him try to stand up, prod him if he doesn't want to, maybe even use waterboarding... a tactic that seems to work well with humans.
And we call an Orca a 'Killer Whales', right? They can't even hold a candle to what humans are capable of!!
It's time Mr. Mendell lives up to his responsibility and steps down because of his inhumane running of the place.
He knew all along what was happening. After all the bottom line (MONEY!!) must be met!!! And whatever it took in his eyes was worth it!
People like him can't hide behind sorry excuses anymore.

Herman

Herman Vanderheide, St.Thomas, USA, Virgin Islands

It's time we open the hunting season on people like Steve Mendell!!! make him run, especially when he's sick!!!

Herman Vanderheide, St. Thomas, USVI, USA, Virgin Islands

This is nothing new - it happens at slaughterhouses all over the country. This recall is happening just because this place was caught. They don't care about animal rights or the safety of our food supply, just how much money can be made. The feds do not have enough power to stop it.

Read "Fast Food Nation." If you're not ready to give up meat, at least think about and make choices regarding WHERE YOUR FOOD COMES FROM! Only proactive consumers can result in a difference in the way our food is processed.

CKE, St Paul, MN

Why aren't the company CEO's in jail?

K, Greensboro, nc

This is gross mistreatment of these animals and I wish they wouldn't show this on television for my son to view. Why isn't this slaughterhouse shut down already and what investigation are they doing? It's obvious by the video that they are at fault! I am just stunned by the amount of abuse of the animals, I know we need meat for human consumption, but to go and slaughter downed and/or sick animals is absurd to me. What were they thinking, I know the almighty buck and distributing that BAD meat to our kids in school, I am just disgusted and from now on will be packing my sons lunch, since meat companies can't be trusted! Another sad thing is that the Human Society had to out them instead of the USDA, which I thought was the USDA's job to handle things of this nature from happening. The whole thing is just appalling to me!

Diana, Fort Wayne, Indiana

What have we become that this is not controlled better?
The only thing that separates these animals from Fluffy or Fido is bad luck. The people responsible for such actions ought to have to work at a human society for about 20 years, shoveling exactly what they are torturing these animals with.
Sorry excuse for human beings.

LSW, Micanopy , Fl