Last week, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16) took a significant step by reintroducing the Pigs and Public Health Act, (H.R.4757). This crucial piece of legislation aims to ban the slaughter of downed pigs and mandates the USDA to establish regulations prohibiting the willful abuse of downed pigs.
The newly introduced bill would also improve protections for pigs during transport, require testing of downed pigs for zoonotic diseases, prohibit the sale of meat from downed pigs, prohibit the use of harmful drugs in the pork industry, and improve transparency by requiring the USDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to produce a report on the risks that downed pigs pose to our food system.
“Downed pigs suffer some of the worst abuses in the animal agriculture industry. This is not only needlessly cruel but creates a breeding ground for zoonotic pathogens, risking disease spread in our food system and beyond,” said Alicia Prygoski, strategic legislative affairs manager at Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), a supporter of the bill. “The Pigs and Public Health Act will make meaningful, common-sense changes, by not only requiring more humane treatment of pigs at slaughter, but by protecting public health from the risk of foodborne illness and zoonotic disease spread, such as swine and avian flu.”
“ALDF applauds Congresswoman Escobar’s steadfast leadership to ensure that some of the most exploited animals in our food system are afforded protections, and that consumers, who value and deserve a more humane food system, are protected as well,” said Prygoski.
“For years, experts have warned about the zoonotic disease threat that factory farming poses,” said Frances Chrzan, senior federal policy manager at Mercy For Animals. With the current, unprecedented outbreak of bird flu in the United States, it is past time for the federal government to address public health threats borne of industrial animal agriculture.”
“Mercy For Animals commends Congresswoman Escobar (D-TX) for her unwavering commitment to protecting public health and her reintroduction of the Pigs and Public Health Act in Congress, which targets the most vulnerable pigs — those too sick, injured or weak to stand,” continued Chrzan. “If passed, the bill would empower agricultural workers to report human rights and animal welfare violations and require the government to track pathogens linked to downed pigs. Mercy For Animals urges Congress to take these proactive steps to prevent future pandemic risks.”
Pigs raised for food in the U.S. are routinely subjected to nearly unimaginable cruelty, much of which is legal under current law. Investigations and industry whistleblowers have revealed horrific abuse of downed pigs, such as kicking, prodding, dragging by the limbs, and shocking to get them to slaughter, as they cannot walk or stand up.
Downed pigs also present a significant public health risk. In 2007, the USDA prohibited the slaughter of downed cows due to concerns about the spread of Mad Cow Disease, followed by a ban on the slaughter of downed calves raised for veal nine years later. The USDA noted that the primary reason for these actions was to protect food safety, stating that downed animals are ‘more likely to harbor and transmit food-borne diseases.’ However, no regulatory action has been taken to prohibit the slaughter of downed pigs, despite similar public safety risks. The Pigs and Public Health Act is long overdue, following decades of inaction by the USDA to report and implement regulations protecting downed animals in the food system.
