Humane Society videos show downer cattle outside auction markets in Pa., Md., N.M. and Texas

The Humane Society of the United States last week gave Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer video that it took last month at livestock auction markets in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Texas and New Mexico, showing "downer cattle in various states of distress or neglect," reports Tom Steever of Brownfield Network. The group released the videos today.

The Humane Society says on its Web site, "The shocking abuse of 'downer' cows occurs not just at slaughter plants but may be an everyday happening at livestock auctions and stockyards around the country." The organization's undercover video showing abuse of downer cows at a slaughter plant in California in January led to the nation's largest recall of meat, much of it from school lunchrooms. The group asked Schafer to ban all use of downer cows for human consumption and enact regulations requiring "more humane treatment of animals destined for the food supply, at every step from producer to slaughter."

The Livestock Marketing Association said, "We intend to work immediately with the businesses where the improper handling reportedly occurred, as soon as they are specifically identified." It said the HSUS refused to meet with LMA before holding a press conference today, and said "their genuine concern for animal welfare" was in doubt because the videographers "did nothing about the animals in distress."

HSUS President Wayne Pacelle said helping animals "wasn’t part of this particular operation," Steever reports. "None of the on-line video shared with reporters Wednesday showed cattle actually being abused, however in all four cases, the animals were unable to stand or walk." (Read more) For audio of Steever's 30-minute interview with Pacelle, click here.