Does abuse really exist on livestock farms to the extent the ARA's claim?
No.
It would be wrong to say that abuse does not exist, because it does, but, by no stretch of the imagination could it be considered the norm.
In my opinion, abuse tends to occur when:
1) Its the wrong person doing the job.
Ignorance, incompetence, lack of empathy, laziness, can all be a recipe for abusive situations.
Filling job vacancies on livestock farms can be very difficult. Sometimes, in desperation, companies will employ anyone with two arms and two legs regardless of their aptitude for the job. This can be disastrous for the animals. Luckily such people rarely last more than a few weeks.
People who choose to work with animals need to have certain qualities, first and foremost, they should like animals and enjoy being around them. Working with animals requires patience, dedication, empathy and compassion, but it doesn't mean being soppy and letting the animals walk all over you, animals need to know who's boss, and I believe that applies regardless of species.
Sometimes a person thinks, "I like pigs (elephants, horses, dogs, whatever) I want to work with them," but then, when they are faced with the reality of feeding, cleaning out, bedding, dealing with an uncooperative creature, etc. they discover they don't have the necessary skills or the right temperament for the job. So animals are left unfed, without water, dirty, cold, untrained, illness is not recognized or not treated.
This is abuse through neglect and rarely happens in intensive livestock farms because there is almost always someone else who does care, to take up the slack.
2) When a person who, under normal circumstances, would not treat an animal badly is under stress because of exhaustion, sickness, worry/anxiety, time constraints etc.
I'd be surprised if anybody who works with animals hasn't fallen into this category.
And it effects us all no matter how much we like to think otherwise. Working with animals is 24/7 and doesn't stop because a person has a cold, the flu, or a hangover from a little excess the night before.
3) When a person is mentally ill, sadistic, or just plain mean. These people should never be allowed near animals unsupervised.
1 comment:
Right on!!!
There are FAR MORE farmers that care for their animals than those that abuse/neglect them..
But of course to the PeTA/H$U$ lunatic fringe, the mere ACT of raising animals to eat is abuse.
Thanks for stopping by my blog! I'll follow yours as well.
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