Imagine being hung upside down, shocked into paralysis, having your throat cut, then drowned in hot water...while you’re conscious. That’s the stuff of nightmares, and it’s the tragic reality for billions of birds each year. These animals have virtually no protection from the worst slaughter abuses.
Nearly all animals killed for food in the U.S. are chickens and turkeys—more than nine billion each year. They're shackled upside down, paralyzed by electrified water and dragged over mechanical throat-cutting blades ... all while conscious. Millions of birds each year miss the blades and drown in tanks of scalding water.
This occurs because the U.S. Department of Agriculture exempts birds from its enforcement of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, which requires that farm animals be insensible to pain before they’re shackled and killed. The HSUS is working with retailers to help move companies that slaughter birds toward a less cruel system.
News & Events
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March 8, 2010
A Line in the Sand
Ohioans join the fight against factory farming's chokehold
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March 5, 2010
Whistleblower Testifies Against USDA
A public health veterinarian testified before a House subcommittee that the USDA retaliated against him for trying to enforce humane handling and food safety controls at slaughter plants.
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March 4, 2010
HSUS' President Testifies on Humane Slaughter Act Enforcement
Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS, testifies before a U.S. House subcommittee in the latest of a series of Congressional hearings on USDA's enforcement of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act.
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February 1, 2010
Three Months after Bushway
The Bushway Packing plant is closed, but criminal charges have yet to be filed.
Our Victories
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February 18, 2010
Wal-Mart: Private Label Eggs All Cage-Free
Wal-Mart's private label eggs are cage-free, prompting The HSUS to withdraw a shareholder resolution calling on the company to disclose its progress moving toward cage-free eggs.
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December 29, 2009
2009: A Banner Year for Animals
The HSUS reflects on some major achievements for animal protection in 2009. Countless animals have been rescued from harm, spared from suffering and guaranteed basic standards of humane treatment.
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December 16, 2009
The HSUS Recognizes Top 12 State Legislative Achievements in Animal Protection
The HSUS celebrates the top 12 state legislative achievements in animal protection in 2009.
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December 14, 2009
Encouraging News from IHOP
IHOP agreed to begin testing the use of cage-free eggs









