, Research Paper
Animal Abuse and The Meat Industry
The purpose of this report is to bring to light the crimes being committed to livestock in this cruel world of profit. This report will show that animals in the meat industry are being abused as well as in the world around us. This report will also prove that animals have feelings and can feel pain. The abusing of animals, in today s society, all to often includes but not limited to inhumane treatment in the meat industry, chemical testing, and cases of one on one beating.
Animal abuse starts with the food we eat from restaurants to our kitchen table. Chickens in the meat industry are no longer thought of as animals. Hens raised for egg laying are referred to as layers . Hens raised for meat are referred to as broilers (Robbins 51). Without a sense of social hierarchy that would be established under normal living conditions the animals divert to insanity. As a result of going crazy these chickens would often peck each other to death. This caused reduction in profit; the solution employed by the companies was to have the beaks cut as the chickens enter the plant. A lack of any type of painkiller or anethesia caused incredible pain to the chickens (Robbins 64).
Cattle are often fed raw manure (Peta 4). Due to this unhealthy diet the cattle are fed lots of drugs antibiotics and other chemicals to prevent sickness (Robbins 108). Bulls are castrated because castrated bulls have more fat therefore they fetch more money. The process of castration is an excruciating process that is hard for the hardened workers to watch much less for the animals that have to bear the pain (Robbins 107).
Milk cows are fed hormones and artificially inseminated to promote milk production. Due to being pregnant constantly the utters of these poor animals often swell to the size of watermelons and can sometimes drag the ground (Robbins 111). The cells of these cows are generally to small for the animal to move much. The floors are either made from concrete, which puts incredible strain on the feet and legs of the animal or the floor is made of slated metal, which is more painful on the feel and legs (Peta 6). Veal is the flesh of a baby calf. The secret to veal is that the muscles have not had time to develop therefore the meat is tender and pinkish-white. A process designed by a Dutch man has made veal more available to the public. This system allowed the corporations to grow the calves for up to four months. To start the calves are taken away from their mothers immediately after birth and are denied any kind of mother. Next they are isolated in stalls only twenty-two inches wide and fifty-four inches long. These stalls are so small the animals cannot turn around and they can hardly move. This is incredibly hard on the animals. They are denied their natural instinct to suckle. Due to these horrendous conditions the veal calves are very anemic for if they were allowed any sort of iron their flesh would not be white and not be quality veal (Robbins 112-115).
The factory farm pigs are so devastated that they become psychotic in nature as
Some animals become so fearful that they dare not move,
even eat or drink. They become runts and die. Others
remain in constant, panicked motion, neurotic
perversions of their instinct to escape. Cannibalism is
common in swine operations (Robbins 88)
When these pigs go crazy they often succumb to tail-biting. This can cause death in some cases. That means less money for the company. To prevent tail-biting the pigs have their tails cut off upon entering the factories (Robbins 89).
Today s pigs are routinely fed recycled waste, even
though this waste consistently contains drug residues
and high levels of toxic, heavy metals, such as arsenic,
lead and copper. Often the helpless creatures are
simply given raw poultry or pig manure (Robbins 93).
Animal abuse can start with each and every one of us. Physical abuse is often seen in today s society even though there are laws to prevent it. In 1989 a man was arrested for repeatedly beating his orangutans backstage before they were set to perform at the Stardust hotel and casino. A man was arrested for burglarizing a house, while he was in the house he put a poodle into a pet carrier and he drowned it in the bathtub. These are cases of people getting arrested for these sick crimes. Unfortunately many times cases go unreported (Animal cruelty 1-6).
Chemical testing on animals is unethical immoral and unnecessary all of the major advances in the medical field that have increased the life expectancy and health of people today has not come from chemicals. It has come from advances in lifestyles and simple things of that nature. The testing of chemicals on animals does harm to these animals they are often physically or mentally scared for life due to these chemicals. Often the animals die from it (Toxicity 1-6).
Is there proof that animals have feelings? Animals do have feelings take a dog for example. Have you ever seen a dog wag its tail when you offer it a treat? The dog is feeling excited that it is being offered a reward. Or have you seen a dog wag its tail when you pet its head. It is responding to positive stimulation and the dog enjoys this. Animals feel pain as well a dog will yelp in pain when you step on its tail or step on its foot. All kinds off animals show pain in this way by making a noise of some kind. Humans do this to. If someone steps on your foot you respond by saying ouch. Or by screaming if the pain is bad enough (Animals have 1-8).
How can we alloy such extreme abuses of sentient beings to continue? There are laws in place to prevent someone from beating his pet dog but there is nothing being done about the torture and pain caused by the meat industry. Animal abuse is wrong no matter how it takes place and it needs to stop in order to save the balance of nature. All of the abuse caused by the meat industry is completely avoidable, but the greedy companies find new and torturous ways to increase their profit not caring about the well-fare of the animals.