Humane Society Sues Government over Poultry Slaughter WASHINGTON
Chickens and turkeys should be covered by the same law as cows,
pigs and other animals when they are slaughtered, the Humane
Society of the United States said in a lawsuit filed Monday
against the Agriculture Department. Before becoming T-bone steak
or pork ribs, livestock must be stunned or otherwise unable to
feel pain, according to the federal Humane Methods of Slaughter
Act. However, the Agriculture Department maintains that the
47-year-old law does not apply to poultry. The Humane Society
argues that common methods of slaughtering poultry are not only
cruel; they increase the risk of contamination that leads to
food poisoning. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in
San Francisco. Typically, birds arriving at a slaughterhouse are
dumped from their crates onto conveyor belts, then shackled
upside down on a conveyor line, the Humane Society said. The
humane slaughter act specifically prohibits shackling and
hanging of conscious animal