What are Downer Cattle?
Downer cattle are cows that cannot walk because of injury or disease. Many farming experts recommend the slaughter of downer cattle as a humane response to their condition. Downer cows are considered potential sources of mad cow disease, a fatal illness that experts say may be transmittable to humans who consume infected meat. In 2008, The American Meat Institute, National Meat Association and National Milk Association petitioned the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to institute a governmental ban on selling meat from downed cows for human consumption, but so far no comprehensive ban has been passed.
