Big pork producers accused of cruelty to sows

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http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/01/19/BAGE2NLH051.DTL

 

SONOMA COUNTY:

Big pork producers accused of cruelty to sows

Stalls too small for pigs to move, suit alleges

 

Jim Doyle, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday, January 19, 2007

 

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Animal rights activists filed a lawsuit Thursday in Sonoma County against one of

the state's largest pig farmers, saying that the operation violates state law by

keeping thousands of pregnant sows in cages so small they can't turn around or

scratch themselves.

 

The Animal Legal Defense Fund, East Bay Animal Advocates and three Bay Area

residents lodged the animal cruelty suit in Superior Court against CorcPork

Inc., a pig farming company based in the Kings County community of Corcoran.

 

Also named as a defendant is Clougherty Packing Co., which sells products under

the trademarked Farmer John brand. Its links and sausages are carried by many

supermarket chains. Clougherty, a Los Angeles-based subsidiary of Hormel Foods

Corp., is the state's leading pork packer.

 

The individual plaintiffs, who claim to have purchased and consumed Farmer John

products, accuse the brand of fraudulent business practices by allegedly

misleading consumers in ads that say that the pigs were raised in " a family

tradition since 1931. "

 

According to a 13-page complaint, roughly 9,000 of CorcPork's pregnant sows are

crammed into small stalls on concrete floors amid their own feces without being

able to take a step. The sows endure cycles of pregnancy, nursing and further

impregnation until their bodies give out, the suit asserts.

 

" The practice is hidden from the public eye, so that the purchasers of products

from these pigs are unaware of the illegal manner in which the animals who

provide meat have been treated, " the complaint states. " Consumers are not

informed that the animals who are used as ingredients in their food were

subjected to animal cruelty under California law. "

 

Steve Duchesne, a spokesman for Clougherty Packing, said that the farm in

Corcoran is owned by four siblings and that " the animal husbandry practices they

employ are all scientifically proven to be effective and humane.

 

" This is the continuation of the seemingly endless attacks by these extreme

animal rights organizations against responsible livestock farmers, " Duchesne

said. " These groups are making their living attacking honest, hard-working

farmers in the political arena, in legislatures and in courthouses. But here in

California, voters clearly said in approving Prop. 64 that they are opposed to

this sort of shakedown litigation. "

 

He said that small gestation stalls prevent pregnant sows from biting and

scratching each other, and ensure proper nutrition and medical treatment. He

said that the small farrowing stalls used during nursing deter sows from rolling

over onto their piglets.

 

The plaintiffs seek a court order to change the way the sows are treated.

 

" We simply want these pigs to have the small bit of relief that they are

entitled to by California law, " said Lisa Franzetta, a spokeswoman for the

Animal Legal Defense Fund, a nonprofit.

 

E-mail Jim Doyle at jdoyle.