Are there laws to protect downed animals from abuse?
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) adopted a regulatory ban on the slaughter of downed cattle for human consumption. However, several loopholes exist. First, the current regulations only apply to cattle– leaving pigs, sheep, goats and other species of livestock unprotected. Second, this regulation allows cattle who go down after their initial ante-mortem slaughter inspection. The Federal Humane Slaughter Act also prohibits the dragging of downed animals unless they have been rendered unconscious, but undercover investigations have repeatedly shown violations of this ban. Finally, several states have passed regulations or laws governing the treatment of downed animals. Some states merely prohibit downed animals from being bought or sold, but others require that they be humanely euthanized. States with downed animal protection laws include California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
