Another Expert Speaks Out Against Rubashkin

Dr. Brenda Forsythe, co-chair of the Animal Welfare Task Force for the California Veterinary Medical Association, writes:

Statement of Dr. Brenda Forsythe, M.S., Ph.D., D.V.M.
Expert, Large Animal Behavior

“My name is Dr. Brenda Forsythe and I am a veterinary doctor assisting with an investigation into alleged animal cruelty. I am a 1998 graduate of UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and have been in practice for seven years including three years of mixed animal practice primarily involving cattle, pigs, and horses in addition to dogs and cats. In addition to my veterinary medical degree, I hold both masters and doctorate degrees in Animal Science from Cal Poly and Auburn University respectively with large animal behavior as my area of research expertise. I am very experienced with a wide variety of animal welfare issues and have recently accepted appointment as co-chair of the Animal Welfare Task Force for the California Veterinary Medical Association.

“After review of the videotape evidence involving Agriprocessors, Inc., of Postville, Iowa, it is my conclusion that there have been numerous violations of generally accepted humane standards at this slaughtering plant. There were repeated incidents involving dissection, transaction and removal of the tracheal structures of conscious struggling animals, chain hoisting and suspending cattle by a single limb while still conscious and prolonged consciousness and struggling prior to death. Additionally, there were a few incidents where negligence resulted in unnecessary suffering, such as when animals were trapped in automated equipment such as the rollers in conveyor belt transport systems.

“Specific incidents depicting unnecessary suffering resulting from poor slaughtering techniques included but were not limited to the following:

“Incidents #21, 28, 24, 45 – Transection or removal of the trachea and auxiliary cervical musculature in conscious cattle immediately after having their throats cut resulted in severe and unnecessary pain and suffering.

“Incidents #40, 27B, 35C – The process of cutting the animal open beyond cutting the throat and trachea was initiated while the animal was still conscious and struggling. This expediency on the part of the slaughter personnel resulted in severe pain and suffering for the cattle involved.

“Incidents #21, 40, 24, 26, 43, 33 – Connecting to chain hoist and suspending conscious, struggling dying cattle by one hind limb resulted in a great degree of unnecessary pain, suffering, and fear.

“Incident #43 – An obviously suffering, vocalizing, conscious but dying cow endured even more distress when an attempt to chain and hoist it by a hind limb failed and it fell back to the ground.

“Incident #22 – The neglect of a chicken trapped in the machinery of a conveyor belt resulted in unnecessary pain and suffering.

“In summary, the methods employed at this slaughtering plant result in unnecessary pain and suffering and do not conform to the typical humane requirements for religious slaughter. When conscious animals are slaughtered, it is very important for the initial cut to be quick and clean with a very sharp knife to sever both carotid arteries and jugular veins in one cut, after which the animal should not be moved or disturbed until unconsciousness ensues to result in the most humane and painless death. In my expert opinion, turning frightened animals upside down for the convenience of the slaughterer, cutting body parts out of conscious animals, dumping struggling dying animals out of chutes onto a blood soaked kill floor, using electric cattle prods on immobilized animals, and suspending heavy animals by a single limb prior to unconsciousness all result in unnecessary pain, suffering, or distress and are violations of humane slaughtering practices.”

Comments

[Isa]

No doubt she will be ignored OR somebody will find that she is (for an example) driving a German car - then she be called an anti-semite or something.

[Lumpy Rutherford]

>"In summary, the methods employed at
>this slaughtering plant result in
>unnecessary pain and suffering and
>do not conform to the typical humane
>requirements for religious slaughter"

Thanks for the psak 'rabbi'

[josh]

Why aren't any of these "experts" poskim or rabbonim?? I second Lumpy Rutherford...

Face it scott, you got nothing bunch a bunch of goyim supporting peta.

[Alan]

Apparently it's the goyim who are the only "rachmanim bnei rachmanim" around here....

[Lumpy's Right]

I imagine that the same goyim would also declare that it's immoral to wipe out Amalek. Not very merciful to kill people, is it? The point is that the Torah dictates what rachamim is, not some veteranary experts. Their expertise is not questioned, but their ability to tell Torah Jews what to do is certainly suspect.

[FNU LNU]

Lumpy's Right,

Where does the Torah define 'rachamim'?

[Isa]

The King is Naked

The king walks down the street with no clothes on. Somebody says "The king is naked" immediately the secret police beats on the guy, finds out he wasn't the PERFECT citizen or perhaps he wasn't a citizen, mabe they find out he used to be a commie or a John Bircher. Maybe they even accuse him of Losen Hara. All the while ignoring a real issue that the king goes around naked.

[Alan Scott]

The Torah and our tradition does define rachamim. For instance, according to the Rambam (and others), the injunction to kill off Amalek *only* applies while Amalek is __acting like the Amalek of the chumash__. Apparently you're trying to find a defense of genocide in the Torah but you're really stretching it. You think Haman was the only Agagi left in Persia? Yet the Megilla never mentions the chiyuv to wipe out Amalek in the Purim story, only the fight against the actual "Tsorerim" against the Jews.
There are more than enough sources out there on the internet for you to read about the Torah's real view on the great compassion we are expected to show for our family of Jews, individuals of the entire human race, and also God's other beriyot.
I repeat again - "Jewish values" does NOT equal "the opposite of whatever the goyim are doing". "Jewish values" equal values from the Torah shebe'al peh and shebichtav, and you are completely in the wrong here. Wrong about tza'ar ba'alei shayim, wrong about Amalek. What could you possibly gain from twisting our Torah into an instrument of viciousness? Deracheha Darchei Noam vekol Netivoteha Shalom is the key. Kach she'ani Rachum, ata Tihiyeh Rachum is the method.

[FNU LNU]

I do not know what 'Jewish values' are. Halachically influenced values can be found with many people with many different views (though a narrower group dominates the rabbinic segments of the community).

The Rambam was a great leader and talmud chacham. His views form a great influence on halacha today. But the Torah and Judaism are far greater then he.

But that we need some values in approaching Torah is clear. Just remember this: The Torah does not ever forbid canabalism (unless you assume halachically humans are treated as chayas & behemas and thats debateable).

[A Jew Girl's Goy Toy]

"Face it scott, you got nothing bunch a bunch of goyim supporting peta."

Perhaps they've finally realized the true implications and logical extensions of God's laws "concerning a limb torn from a living animal" - and you haven't. PETA is full of freaks, though - too bad it was them that's opened up a can of whoop-tuchas on Agriprocessors. Couldn't have happened to a more deserving bunch of guys.