Animal Slaughter Thesis

All semester we have discussed how our actions impact our environment and what we can do to limit this impact, or to make our impact more “green.” From smart green homes, to rain barrels, to smart cars, there are many different ways that we can improve our environment and lessen our ecological footprint. One of the biggest ways to do this is by reducing the amount of meat that we consume.

What are currently the poor conditions for animals in the American slaughterhouses, what are the causes of these conditions, and what are the best methods for preventing slaughterhouse cruelty?

Replacing all the meat in the human diet with vegetables and fruit is difficult. At the expense of refraining from eating meat, we are expected to partake in excessive

. . 30 to 40 percent of all cancers are caused by diet”(Davis and Melina 32). The consumption of meat has also been liked to Osteoporosis; “When you eat meat, your blood becomes acidic . . .In order to balance all the acidity, your bones come to the rescue by releasing some of their minerals”(Silverstone 17). “Diets”, in America revolve heavily around meat and dairy products; no wonder cancer is the second leading cause of death.

Horse slaughter is not humane euthanasia, while, euthanasia is defined as a gentle, painless death provided in order to prevent suffering, slaughter is a brutal and terrifying end for horses (“Horse Slaughter is not Euthanasia”). It is very shocking to hear all the awful things that horses go through in the slaughter process. When the horses are herded through the plant to slaughter, many workers use fiberglass rods to poke and beat their faces, necks, backs and legs as the animals are shoved through the facility into the kill pen (Horse Slaughter “). The USDA recently released photos of horses with broken bones protruding from their bodies, eyeballs hanging by a thread of skin, and open wounds, all taken at former U.S horse slaughter plants. This does not sound like animals that people love and have used as companion pets for many generations ( “The Horse Fund”). Former inspector has stated that horses are only stunned for 30 seconds, long enough to be hung up by a hind leg (“Jeras”) .The horse is still fully conscious at the start of the slaughter process, during which he or she is hung by a hind leg, his or her throat slit and body butchered. Death is the final step, is excruciating (“Horse Slaughter”).How does it sound okay to butcher an animal before it is even killed? Horse slaughter is a threat to human health because horses are given hundreds of drugs during their lives that have not been approved by the FDA for use in animals intended for human consumption (“ASPCA”). Horses are given medications , prescribed by vets that allows them to enter the human food chain, but yet people still consume it (“The Horse Fund”) . The slaughter process is also inherently cruel, as horses are difficult to stun properly and may be repeatedly injured or stabbed during the procedure(“How to Help a Horse”). Each year more than 100,000 American horses - working, racing and companion horses and even children’s ponies - are

There have been many studies published recently that show a direct link between the consumption of red meat and significantly increased cancer risks. Three kinds of cancers: breast, colon, and prostate cancers were the most heavily studied, but other cancers, like leukemia, have been studied as well.

The world has a need for meat, and it is almost obsessive. Most cultures typically consume some sort of domesticated animal in agriculture. Whether it is cows, chicken, lamb, deer, turkey, or fish, many people are not educated to the fact that the alternative diets are better for their health. There are different animal products for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Hundreds if not thousands of diverse chain restaurants dedicated to meat consumption.There are also many different holidays around the world such as Thanksgiving and Christmas where meat is consumed. With affordable prices and an acquired taste, it is likely to be a lifelong habit. There are vast miles of subsidized agricultural land dedicated to the cultivation of animals. According to Amir Khan, staff writer for U.S.News, reporting on the American Meat Institute, Americans consume, “57 pounds more meat than they were in the 1950s”(Khan).

Beef accounts for so much water usage and methane emissions and carbon dioxide and greenhouse gasses and it all contributes to global climate change. We are killing our planet because we like the way meat tastes. It is crucial we leave the old ways behind so that we may embrace the new lifestyle that is caring about the world and doing something about it. It is crucial that everyone understands what they are doing to themselves when they eat processed foods. It is important to recognize severely hormone treated meat as the carcinogen

Meat on the other hand has a possible risk for developing cancer, especially red meat. One theory as to why red meat is associated with cancer lies in the preparation of the meat. The thought is that most

Over time, people have evolved and grown into kinder and more accepting people, tolerant of all religions, races, sexual orientations, etc. In this age, younger children have grown up in these welcoming environments, not knowing what life was like in a much crueler time. Though books that teach children what it was like to live in a time of racism and unwelcoming, a considerable number of schools have deprived children of the opportunity to learn about what life was like decades ago, upsetting even the authors of the books.

6/20 It is clear the rescue took place on the 20th and the one warehouse was cleaned out, According to testimony I received which has been verified by THREE sources it took most of the day to clear out most of Slaughterhouse #1. Then the whole group drove for hours and sometime are 2am they drove into an open field with a large barn and bought the rest of the dogs.

The closing of slaughterhouses in the United States for horses has resulted in inhumane treatment and gross neglect for thousands of horses. Congressmen, lobbyists, activists, actors, and every day people have petitioned for these death traps to be destroyed, all for the benefit of the horse. The horse, who cannot speak, can only react to his surroundings. The ones to be benefited are the people who see this as cruel, and inhumane; to give them a clear conscious, because they feel endeared to this animal. I, too, am endeared to this animal, but understand that the horse has been put in, an all too often, precarious situation, that even death, cannot come quick enough.

Some individuals may have chosen to be Vegetarian for health purposes, or out of respect for animals. The health benefits of not eating meat may reduce the risk of a Heart Attack, Cancer, and Type 2 Diabetes. Meat contains saturated fat. Consuming excessive amounts of meat may cause clogged arteries. Clogged arteries force your heart to beat faster, in order to pump blood through the arteries, resulting in high blood pressure. Compounds broken down in meat produce fatty build up causing clogged arteries, and in some cases resulting in a heart attack. Preservatives, such as nitrate, are used to prevent bacteria in processed meat, and are known to cause cancer. Red meat is high in iron and may diminish insulin’s effectiveness of converting sugar into energy causing diabetes.

In recent years, red meat has been controversial because it has been linked to heart disease and cancer. The truth is today’s red meat wasn’t what it has used to be. Those we ate nowadays is vastly different than before. The meat products may have been processed before sale. Regardless of the fact that humans consumed red meat through different methods, many experts still believe that it is more harmful to human body than health aspects. Eating red meat raises the risk of early death. As red meat is high in protein and fats, it can contribute to different kinds of diseases and cancer to our human body. Some people claim that red meat is healthy. However, there are some good reasons that this is not true.

The problem we need to understand here is that many of these regulated methods are not ethical and cause suffering to the dying animal. Whether it causes them “pain and distress even at low concentrations” due to the carbon dioxide, “broken bones” due to shackling, “massive damage to the skull and a shockwave which stuns the brain” due to captive bolt pistol, or a slow and painful death if their “sticking wound is inaccurately placed” this methods need to be either reevaluated or vanished. It is not fair for animals to suffer and undergo horrible deaths just to satiate our hunger. When did we start forgetting how to take care of that that give us life? When did we start killing without mercy for the sake of our people? When did we forget to care for the minority in order to benefit the majority?