How You Can Help

1. Make it the Law. Urge your state and federal legislators to introduce legislation to protect downed animals of all species. Contact them all with one easy email. Personalize your message by using your own words and the talking points below.

2. Please tell us what you find out from your legislators. This information helps Farm Sanctuary know who we need to lobby harder to make positive changes for the animals.

3. Send a letter to the editor of your local paper about downed animals. Use the talking points below for ideas on what to say. See our Tips on Writing a Letter to the Editor for additional help.

TALKING POINTS

• Downed animals are routinely dragged with chains or pushed with tractors or forklifts. Handlers may drag animals by their tails or ears, or use electroshock prods and other implements to force downed animals to stand or drag themselves along.
• To be used for human food, animals must be kept alive until they are slaughtered. For this reason, downed animals awaiting slaughter often suffer for hours or days at a time without veterinary care. Further, rendering companies that make scheduled visits to farms to pick up dead animals generally prefer to purchase carcasses of newly-dead animals, thereby furthering the industry's motivation to keep downed animals alive. Requiring the immediate euthanasia of downed animals would remove the profit motive and eliminate unnecessary, prolonged suffering.
• Industry experts estimate that 90 percent of the incidences of downed animals could be prevented through better care and better transportation and handling methods. Requiring humane euthanasia for downed animals would provide a strong incentive to ensure the health of livestock during all stages of production, and to prevent them from becoming downed in the first place.

Food Safety Concerns

• Meat from downed animals is more likely to be unfit for consumption. It has an increased risk for bacterial contamination and diseases, including neurological afflictions such as BSE, also known as mad cow disease. Of 15 cases of BSE documented in North America, 13 were found in downed cattle.
• USDA records show that downed animals afflicted with gangrene, malignant lymphoma, pneumonia, or other serious illnesses have been approved for human consumption by the agency.

Public Opinion

• A 2003 Zogby Poll of likely voters found that that 77 percent consider it unacceptable that downed animals are being slaughtered for human consumption.

The Cost of Downed Animals

• Because "downers" represent a tiny fraction of livestock brought to market, banning their slaughter would have a minimal economic impact, especially if measures were taken to reduce the incidence of downed animals in the first place. Meanwhile, benefits to animal welfare and consumer health would be substantial.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Farm Sanctuary Downed Animal Factsheet (pdf)
• Links to recent news stories
• Tips on lobbying and contacting your legislators

Please contact Farm Sanctuary at campaign@farmsanctuary.org or 607-583-2225, ext 229 if you need guidance or model bill language to present to your state legislators, or if you have any questions or need additional materials.

Contacting your legislators is only one part of the equation. Assessing their position on farm animal issues is another. Whenever you call, write or visit with your elected officials, let us know what happened. This feedback is vital, as it allows us to make the most of our resources and focus our energy. Sharing your feedback couldn't be easier. Just fill out this form, and detail your experience-a little information can have a massive impact, leading to positive change for the animals!