FDA PETITION--PROHIBIT SLAUGHTER OF DOWNED ANIMALS.

[Guest guest]

FDA PETITION

 

PROHIBIT SLAUGHTER OF DOWNED ANIMALS.

 

 

-

Robyn Thunderchild

Monday, January 22, 2001 7:19 PM

FDA PETITION

 

 

" No Downers " Campaign Update

 

Last year, the USDA announced a landmark policy to stop

purchasing meat from downed cows for federal programs,

including the national school lunch program. The Agency stated,

 

" The USDA will no longer accept ground beef that includes

product from non-ambulatory cattle, commonly known as " downers " .

This development shows a growing consensus- even among

livestock industry and government officials- that the marketing

and slaughter of downed animals is unacceptable.

Our chances of stopping the downed animal trade are better now

than ever, and letters are needed to urge the Food and Drug

Administration to grant petition 98P-0151/CP1 to prohibit the

slaughter of downed animals.

 

Please write today, and please encourage others to write as well.

 

Robyn Thunderchild

Campaigns Coordinator, Farm Sanctuary.

 

 

HOW YOU CAN HELP

 

Please write to the Food and Drug Administration's Dockets

Management Branch to urge that they grant our petition to

prohibit the slaughter of downed animals -

 

DOCKET NUMBER : 98P-0151/CP1

 

It is critical that you include the docket number in your comment.

 

Please write to:

 

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Dockets Management Branch

5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061

Rockville, MD 20852

 

FAX: 301-827-6870

E-mail: FDADockets

(at oc.fda.gov )

 

 

RE: DOCKET NUMBER : 98P-0151/CP1

 

 

Some points in your letter to FDA to make include :

 

1: Animals who are too sick or injured even to stand should not be

allowed to enter the human food chain.

 

2: In addition to posing an increased risk for bacterial contamination,

there is evidence that some downed animals may be afflicted with

a form of BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy or

" Mad Cow Disease " ), a disease which has been linked to a fatal

human illness (CJD or Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease).

 

3: It is impossible to move downed animals humanely, and they are

typically pushed with tractors or dragged with chains - inhumane

processes which cause injuries ranging from bruises and

abrasions, to broken bones and torn ligaments.

 

4: Downed animals comprise a very small percentage of animals

slaughtered, and prohibiting their marketing will cause no undue

economic hardship.

 

5: Industry experts have estimated that 90% percent of downed

animals can be prevented with better care and handling.

Removing the market for downed animals will provide an incentive

to industry to prevent downed animals in the first place.

 

 

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Downed Animal Protection Act

(H.R. 443 & S. 515)

 

Farm Sanctuary and other animal protection organizations are

lobbying to pass the Downed Animal Protection Act in Washington,

DC. This commonsense measure requires that animals who

are too sick to stand (i.e. " downed animals " ) be humanely

euthanized at stockyards.

 

But We Need Your Help!

 

Check the list of legislative cosponsors. If your Senator(s) and/or

Represenative have cosponsored, send them a 'Thank You' letter.

If they are not listed, please write and urge them to co-sponsor the

Downed Animal Protection Act. Representatives should be asked

to support H.R. 443 and Senators should be asked to support S. 515.

 

Sample Letter to Senator and Representative :

 

Dear Honorable Senator/Representative,

 

I am writing to let you know of my concern for downed animals,

animals that are too sick or injured even to stand. Downed animals

are frequently dragged to slaughter, or abandoned to die slowly

from neglect at stockyards across the country. I urge you to do

everything possible to see that stockyards stop accepting and

selling downed animals by co-sponsoring bill

 

(H.R. 443 or S. 515), the Downed Animal Protection Act.

 

Thank you.

 

Send your letters to:

 

SENATE:

Senator ___________,

U.S. Senate,

Washington, DC, 20510

 

HOUSE:

Representative _____,

U.S. House of Representatives,

Washington, DC, 20515

 

 

 

E-mail your Representative, clicking below to get the email addresses :

 

http://www.webslingerz.com/jhoffman/congress-email.html

 

( " Write to Congress " E-mail Database )

 

 

 

FOR INFORMATION ON FARM SANCTUARY'S MOST RECENT

CAMPAIGNS AND ACTION ALERTS,

PLEASE CONTACT:

 

FARM SANCTUARY

P.O. BOX 150

WATKINS GLEN, NY 14891

Phone: 607-583-2225 (in USA )

Website: http://www.farmsanctuary.org

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Thanks so much for your kindness, compassion and help