Photos from In Defense of Animals
Animal advocates are calling for an investigation into Georgia’s already-troubled chicken factory farming industry over the needless deaths of thousands of chickens.
Koch Foods, a billion-dollar corporation with chicken factories in Georgia reportedly abandoned thousands of chickens to die horrible deaths from injuries, starvation, and dehydration after a tornado hit one of its chicken factory farms in April.
Shocking images show animals crushed beneath the wreckage. Many were still alive after being trapped for days without food, water, or medical attention.
Rescuers were given a small window of time to save the lives of some of the suffering chickens. As per an anonymous rescuer, hundreds of birds, both alive and dead, huddled in groups in horrific maggot-filled conditions.
According to the rescuer, the team rescued one live hen who was covered in maggots. Sadly, the hen died the following morning. Numerous others were so weak and sick that they perished in the arms of the rescuers.
As per In Defense of Animals, necropsies showed that these victims died from extreme dehydration, and might have been saved if Koch Foods had not left them to rot. A preliminary necropsy found that some were also suffering from other conditions including visceral gout, liver abscess, autolysis, and peritonitis.
Rescuers contacted the Murray County Sheriff’s Department to demand an investigation. But, they have yet to respond.
That is why, 11,449 In Defense of Animals supporters and local rescuers are now petitioning the Murray County Sheriff’s Department to investigate Koch Foods for animal cruelty.
Cruelty to “livestock” is clearly illegal under Georgia’s animal cruelty laws. Per the Georgia Department of Agriculture, the public is specifically encouraged to call the Sheriff’s Department to intervene when they believe animals, including chickens, are being unnecessarily harmed.
“In these past two months, the Georgia poultry industry has revealed its brutal indifference to human and nonhuman lives,” Marilyn Kroplick M.D., President of In Defense of Animals said in a statement sent to WAN. “Billion-dollar corporations are not exempt from Georgia’s animal cruelty laws, which exist to prevent needless animal suffering. We are calling on the Murray County Sheriff’s Department to urgently investigate the horrific deaths of thousands of birds under the care of Koch Foods.”
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Members of the public are encouraged to sign the petition to Murray County Sheriff’s Department HERE!
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Please call Sheriff Gary Langford at the Murray County Sheriff’s Department at (706) 695-4592
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Georgia factory farm and slaughterhouse workers experiencing difficulties at work are also urged to call In Defense of Animals Slaughterhouse Support Line for free and confidential support at (800) 510-6289
