According to a report released by the Animal Welfare Institute - ensuring animals raised for food are handled and slaughtered in a humane manner is a low priority of U.S. ag enforcement agencies and the animal ag industry. That’s the conclusion the report’s author made after analyzing over one-thousand documents - including some 500 humane handling and humane slaughter non-compliance records issued by USDA - that cover the five-year period from 2002 to 2007.

Author Dena Jones says pigs were less likely than cattle to be victims of inhumane treatment - and that very small plants are less likely to be suspended for humane treatment violations than the large and small plants.

The report - titled “Crimes without Consequences” - shows failure to provide water to animals in pens - failure to maintain pens - and shackling, hoisting and/or cutting of conscious animals were the most common types of humane deficiencies.

For a look at the full report - visit www dot awionline dot org (http://www.awionline.org/).