by SUSAN MANN
The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is investigating an incident of alleged animal abuse in a Hybrid Turkeys barn caught on video by an animal rights’ activist who posed as a job seeker, got a job with the company and gained access to one of the company’s barns for eight weeks this winter.
Agent Brad Dewar, OSPCA investigation communications officer, says by email the society is in the very early stages of an investigation and will be reviewing all of the information provided to it. The society will also have industry experts review the material too. But “all of the information that is provided is protected under the Privacy Act” and Dewar says that means he can’t discuss any of the information or its contents.
Meanwhile, Hybrid Turkeys, a turkey breeding company with headquarters in Kitchener, has suspended four employees with pay starting on Wednesday over the incident, which involved euthanizing a turkey, while it investigates the matter. Company officials were shown an undercover video shot by an animal rights’ activist that showed employees at one of the company’s barns in southwestern Ontario using euthanasia methods that even though they’re approved by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, “violate Hybrid’s strict animal welfare protocols,” Hybrid says in a March 5 press release.
In addition to suspending the employees, the company has taken a number of steps to address the situation including:
- Launching an independent, third party investigation to review the incident along with Hybrid’s animal welfare program, employee training and quality practices.
- Introducing mandatory video monitoring and veterinary review of all turkey euthanasia, which hasn’t started yet but will begin soon.
- Introducing a new, easier to use tool for euthanasia plus training in the use of the new tool. Designed in Europe, the tool is painless for the animal, quick and easy for the operator to use.
- Initiating a co-operative research agreement on more effective and humane forms of euthanasia with the University of Guelph’s Campbell Centre for Animal Welfare.
The activist who shot the video is with Mercy for Animals Canada, a group that describes itself on its website as a non-profit animal rights organization focused on promoting a vegetarian diet.
Krista Osborne, Mercy for Animals Canada director of operations, says they’re working with law enforcement “on a matter related to factory farming.” Asked if it’s related to Hybrid Turkeys, she declined to answer saying “I’d rather not say at this point.”
She says Mercy for Animals Canada will be holding a very detailed press conference next Friday “and we’ll be answering all of your questions then.”
Hybrid produces premium quality, high health parent stock eggs and poults for customers around the world. Hybrid has 11 farms all located within one hour of Kitchener, 50 barns and 200 employees, says Helen Wojcinski, Hybrid manager of science and sustainability.
Hybrid unknowingly had a member of Mercy for Animals Canada working on their farm as an egg gatherer from early December to the end of January. “She is the same person who did the undercover video of the Alberta egg incident” in mid-October last year, Wojcinski says, adding Hybrid has since learned that the activist changed her name after working on the Alberta egg farm.
Hybrid Turkeys has zero tolerance for animal abuse, managing director David Libertini says in the release. Based on audits and third party inspections, “we believe this to be an isolated incident.”
Still, the company is disappointed the incident has “detracted from the strong commitment for animal welfare that is exhibited on a daily basis by Hybrid and the overwhelming majority of our employees,” the release says.
Wojcinski says Hybrid first became aware of the video after she was contacted by the CBC on Feb. 21 at 5 p.m. But CBC representatives declined to show Hybrid officials the video unless they were permitted to film company officials watching it as part of an interview. Wojcinski declined to do that. Hybrid had an industry contact that was able to get the video and show it to them.
Wojcinski says she doesn’t know when the video was shot.
It’s critical that euthanasia be done correctly and Hybrid’s number one mandate is only trained, competent people “are allowed to handle our animals,” she says, adding that employees must be specifically certified within Hybrid to perform euthanasia.
Hybrid has a specifically designed tool that employees use to dislocate the turkey’s spinal cord from its brain stem. The euthanasia method has to be quick and render the bird unconscious “and then death follows after that,” she says. Employee training also covers bird evaluation to know the euthanasia was effective.
The undercover video shows someone using the tool to dislocate a turkey’s spinal cord from its brain stem “and then I don’t know what happened but then you see the employee and they resort to actually using the tool itself as means of blunt force trauma,” she says, adding the tool is heavy enough to use for blunt force trauma.
Blunt force trauma is also an approved method of euthanasia but most veterinary groups recommend other methods be used. Hybrid does not use blunt force trauma in its operations.
Wojcinski says in another shot someone picked up a shovel and used the blade to hit the top of the turkey’s head. “If you watch the video you will see the bird start to violently wing flap but that is an involuntary reaction and that’s actually what happens and tells you that you effectively euthanized the bird.”
All employees must sign a form as a condition of employment that says they understand and have been told about Hybrid’s animal welfare policies, what their responsibilities are and that they agree to abide by the policies, she says. The form also states if employees see situations of animal mistreatment or violence they must report it and if they do it themselves they can be suspended pending an investigation along with possibly being terminated and facing criminal charges.
People have been fired from Hybrid in the past for animal welfare policy violations but Wojcinski says she didn’t know the severity of those incidents.
Wojcinski says the person who shot the video also signed the employee agreement but didn’t report the incident to the company as she was supposed to do. “If she would have told us (at the time when she shot the video) we would have taken exactly the same actions, which is suspending the employees in question, doing an investigation and then deciding what to do with those employees.”
Birds with structural defects or severe, unrecoverable injuries, such as a broken wing, leg or severe depression are euthanized immediately. Birds with minor injuries or turkeys that appear to not be doing well are removed from flocks and placed in a recovery pen where it’s easy for them to get to feed and water and they aren’t subjected to pecking by the other turkeys, she says. Those birds are returned to the flock if they recover and if not they’re euthanized.
Turkey Farmers of Canada says in a press release it commends Hybrid for taking action on the incident. BF
Comments
These people are way too much like politicians . Say what ever it takes to get the job and then turn around and screw you .
Hybrid should have known this was happening but you can't watch every staff member every minute of the day . Shame on the employee for even doing this .
Not that I think it is right to treat animals poorly but these people are are going way too far find wrong doing . Now if we could only get more people in Gov to squeal on their co workers for wrong doing , poor management of public funds and gov corruption !! That would be a story worth reading ! hint hint
Your comment reflects misplaced empathy. While you acknowledge that treating these birds is wrong, you devote most of your comment to lambasting the employee who took the pictures. To me it is irrelevant whether it was an investigator sent in intentionally or was a troubled employee who could no longer accept the cruelty she was bearing witness too and needed to expose what was going on. The fact is, and according to articles appearing today on-line (Friday, Mar. 14th), this behaviour was being conducted in the presence of other employees and management. While Hybrid can spin this all they want, they are to blame for this. Simple.
As an industry we must accept the fact that people we hire to kill animals (and by this I mean kill like in a slaughterhouse etc.), we must accept the fact that they must lack a certain degree of empathy to do this kind of job day in, and day out. Sociology studies have shown that those who work in slaughterhouses have a higher propensity for domestic violence and often have criminal records. A highly compassionate person isn't going to apply for a job that requires them to kill animals all day. So, it is no wonder that someone like this gets out of line.
Therefore, it is incumbent upon all farmers and all animal food producers to ensure that no act by an employee veers outside strict welfare animal practices. And either we can monitor these employees 24/7 or we'll be forced to have a 3rd party do it and perhaps at our expense.
No…. I don't blame Mercy for Animals for this….. I blame Hybrid. I blame the employees involved.
I think you must have read my posting upside down but think what you want .
I in no way support what has been done by the employee (s) .
Hybrid would know that they were a target and should have long before now had discussions with their employees . So I blame Hybrid and those who participated . Hybrid is trying to look like a victim in all of this also .
One of the biggest problems is the fact that Supply Management operations grow to such a size that the owners do not work in the barns but sit in an office all day looking at their bank account as it grows and grows . hey rely on hired help , give one of them a managers position and a bit of a raise to keep that person around . Many times many who are working in these barns are not the most employable persons to start with . Who of us would like to work in a dark barn all day . Our supply management system is as much to blame as any one and needs to change its self .
Maybe there is use for criminals after all . When they closed the Kingston prison farm they should have replaced it with a slaughter plant since you say these people are closely link to crimal activity .
In reply to your well written and accurate comments about the report concerning the employee revealing turkey abuses, I acknowledge the widespread need for strict monitoring of animal farming operations. There are obvious issues of quality control and animal handling practices as far as worker overload, worker apathy and poor quality of staffing which will always be a significant factor contributing to the inhumane treatment of animals intended for rearing, transportation, housing, corralling and slaughter.
Hopefully, in the near future, the widespread acceptance of stem cell or cultured meat will do away with the need for animal farms which not only are wasteful of valuable land but wasteful of extremely valuable water resources and great pollutants to the global ecosphere.
As for now, the industries involved in farming animals as well as the industry monitoring such operations need to place greater emphasis on maintaining strict regulations about worker selection and selecting quality worker behaviours which must also involve regular psychological assessments. Not anyone ought to be hired to handle animals and especially not workers with prior criminal history as their presence adds tension to an otherwise charged environment of animal slaughter. Only when an industry can recognize the need to have moderately compassionate animal handlers to monitor the humane execution through slaughter, then perhaps there would be higher frequency of ethical animal treatment.
It is interesting about the sociology studies that have been done in the past showing higher propensity of slaughterhouse workers towards family violence. Criminology studies and actual forensic cases show positive correlation between individuals who exhibit domestic violence as being adults having some history of deriving satisfaction from inflicting pain and torture to either animals or people. Many adult criminals who think nothing of inflicting pain on animals have grown up from being animal abusers as children.
As we live in a complex society it becomes paramount to constantly be vigilant about all these issues and do whatever may be done to effectively address them and prevent the vulnerable from being abused.
Anyone advocating for animal rights and ethical treatment of animals are people with a clear compassion and the world would be better with millions more of these people than with people who disregard animals or the ones who allow the abuses to continue.
In reply to your well written and accurate comments about the report concerning the employee revealing turkey abuses at Hybrid, I acknowledge the widespread need for strict monitoring of animal farming operations. There are obvious issues of quality control and animal handling practices as far as worker overload, worker apathy and poor quality of staffing which will always be a significant factor contributing to the inhumane treatment of animals intended for rearing, transportation, housing, corralling and slaughter.
Hopefully, in the near future, the widespread acceptance of stem cell or laboratory cultured meat will do away with the need for living animal farms and all satellite industries that handle living breathing animals. Animal farming industries are not only wasteful of valuable land but wasteful of extremely valuable water resources and significantly great polluters to the global ecosphere.
As for now, the industries involved in farming animals as well as the industry monitoring such operations need to place greater emphasis on maintaining strict regulations about worker selection and selecting quality worker behaviours which must also involve regular psychological assessments. Not anyone ought to be hired to handle animals and especially not workers with prior criminal history of animal abuses as their very presence adds tension to an otherwise charged environment of animal slaughter. Only when the entire industry can recognize the need to have moderately compassionate animal handlers to monitor the humane execution through slaughter, then perhaps there would be higher frequency of ethical animal treatment.
It is interesting about the sociology studies that have been done in the past showing higher propensity of slaughterhouse workers towards family violence. Is it a function of working in the slaughterhouse that brings about family violence later or is it statistically significant that perpetrators of family violence choose to work at slaughterhouses because it is psychologically soothing? I am certain both scenarios apply. Criminology studies and actual forensic cases show positive correlation between individuals who exhibit domestic violence as being adults having some history of deriving satisfaction from inflicting pain and torture to either animals or people. Many adult criminals who think nothing of inflicting pain on animals have grown up from being animal abusers as children.
As we live in a complex society it becomes paramount to constantly be vigilant about all these issues and do whatever may be done to effectively address them and prevent the vulnerable from being abused. We as a society are too lax with our criminals and only need to learn how some countries deal with theirs to know that some repeat offenders are really not acceptable and need to be incarcerated.
Anyone advocating for animal rights and ethical treatment of animals is one with a clear compassion and the world would be better with millions more of these people than with people who disregard animals or the ones who allow the abuses to continue.
Quality Production and Integrity in the marketplace is what every Company/Industry strives for whether its meat production, manufacturing or hi-Tech.If a Company has a Human-error breakdown in either of those 2 sectors the response is usually sooner than later, with the individual being let go or disciplined.I have seen it many times in an Industry that requires a high portion of unskilled laborers.Only makes sense that neither management or workers want to see a drop in production
However there is only one reason why an individual would seek to try and video record those production infractions with the sole purpose of running them to the media.That would be to destroy the Integrity of the Industry involved.
I think your assessment of people that work in the meat processing industry is completely false.When l lived in Kitchener l knew 2nd,3rd generations of families that worked in Schneider's,most of them were of German decent and great community leaders,also very proud of the Company they worked for.
As I had watched the part of the Marketplace television program showing the video footage of the abuses to the turkeys by workers, the comment made in your first paragraph clearly misses the animal rights issue and the fact that any livestock has the right to ethical treatment because they are giving their lives for human consumption. When you can accept that, you would not need to criticize the actions of the person who revealed the abuses but clearly you have made several comments that reflect your opinion of several issues.
Your assumption made in your second paragraph simply rationalizes the issue that Hybrid should have known about disgruntled or negligent employees but it is ok because it is not possible to monitor every employee all the time, you say. Poor excuses indeed because all corporations watch staff and act on only the issues needing greatest attention. In animal farming, such industries need to be monitored for quality control and animal handling negligence at all times because the animals become food for humans and health of the animals becomes an issue. Stressed or diseased animals make poor quality meat but the main point is about the pain and suffering of these animals.
When employees are trained properly and effectively, their actions become automatic and their approaches simply improve with time as they become better at their jobs and better supports to their co-workers; hence the team player approach to ensure proper humane treatment of animals going to slaughter. I did not see this as demonstrated by the abusive actions of the workers. Empathy or sympathy to animals before slaughter is the other issue and to work in this industry probably requires very little of it because to see animal handling for slaughter daily and to be a part of the mechanism of slaughter requires a certain personality to be closed to animal death and the acknowledgement that these animals feel pain or are experiencing horror; or perhaps the workers know to ignore the animal cries or writhing and bleeding bodies because perhaps they as the slaughterhouse workers rationalize that they are only animals.
If it were on your watch and opinion, none of these abuses would have been reprimanded; rather the atrocities would have been covered up and the likelihood of such abuses continuing and perhaps becoming worse may have occurred and I am certain it would have likely occurred.
I hope you will one day realize the gravity of your statements because you not only criticize the employee for the good they have done to stop cruelty to turkeys but you have said the person went too far to expose animal brutality. You may not even choose to return to read any of these comments or perhaps have forgotten about this post entirely.
It is very important to really think it out clearly when you see brutal killing of an animal compared to accepted euthanizing which is supposed to minimize pain and suffering... in theory; either way the animals are under huge amounts of stress and trauma being in such conditions every living moment of their lives. They are moved around against their will to impending slaughter and naturally will do whatever to resist their end, so is that not expected of an animal that wants to live and avoid death? So does one as a worker strike, hit, kick, brutalize, the helpless animal anyway? Is there sense in that or is it abnormal psychological behaviour on the part of the workers?
It is important for a thinking human being working in the turkey farming industry to be able to recognize the difference between abuse and proper treatment and not have the mindset that it is ok to kick or strike animals because they are going to be killed anyway or that they do not get affected. Livestock animals are very, very sensitive and quite aware of their fate as the sounds and smells of death are all around them.
For people working in this industry, it is a daily job and it is extremely important that they realize they must follow proper animal handling protocols and work to observe how they may improve on these procedures towards the improved and humane treatment of animals. Things go wrong when employees are angry or choose to disregard proper procedures of how to use a euthanizing apparatus or choose to scare or taunt the animals to move from one place to another.
You make comparisons to politics and government and the newspapers have much regarding several issues there, but you do not acknowledge the critical need for all workers in the farming industries to be aware of quality controls, proper animal handling and to be team players in the work environment which in this case has brought awareness about how turkeys have been mistreated. Now, perhaps the management can do something to improve.
Good response from Hybrid Turkeys!
It was a standard company letter meant to pacify the people who prefer to pretend this torture is an isolated incident so they can go back to closing their eyes and feeding their kids turkey that'll help their daughters have boobs and pubic hair at 8.
So "Mercy for Animals" had an undercover spy with a known agenda looking for something bad for 6-8 weeks to turn into a story against animal agriculture . End of story.
The story was against inhumane factory farming which is morally and ethically wrong. So what if she had to wait that long to get footage, she got it. Living beings being tortured via people, untreated wounds, growth hormones, over-laying, people and PEOPLE. End of story.
If one could selectively tape some parents when they lose patience and there temper with there children the courts would be overflowing ,lets see killing a turkey is wrong ,agree should be humane,spending thousands too hunt or fish and maybe maim or cripple an animal is fine.
It is very easy to sneak into a barn and selectively take photos and videos to promote your cause and then discuss it at great length as you 'chow down' on chicken wings or a nice juicy steak.
Please educate those that raise them as to the most humane and ethically acceptable way to KILL the sick,diseased and suffering.
Lethal Injection,just toss them outside and let Nature or God do the job?
Oh,sorry , You don't want to dirty your hands -You just want to eat them.
We understand.
i cannot remember seeing anything so cruel it is hard to bear and to know so many other birds have treated this is truly upsetting i will not ever eat Turkey again these people must be held responsible and server jail time for the inhuman treatment of these birds who feel pain fear and never knew a min of compassion suspending employee?? really well we will be looking for jail time for them not just suspension they should not ever be near a living animal again they are just plain cruel or ignorant !
There are 2 very obvious things wrong with this story.
1) "Hybrid Turkeys... has suspended four employees WITH PAY..."
2) "using euthanasia methods that even though they are approved by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association..."
Something just stinks here - and it's not the dead turkeys.
Jim www.dogonaroot.com
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