This conviction is believed to be the first-ever felony cruelty-to-animals decision in a case related to birds-used-for-food production conditions in the United States.
Brian Douglas and several other Butterball employees were filmed violently kicking and stomping birds, dragging them by their wings and necks, forcefully throwing turkeys, and bashing in the heads of live birds with metal bars.
Mercy for Animals contends that the cruelty demonstrated in the underground video was not just the isolated behavior of a few employees but indicative of an atmosphere of pervasive animal cruelty throughout the industry.
The Los Angeles-based nonprofit states as part of its mission that it will “...shine a spotlight on the cruel and corrupt practices of factory farms” and “urges preventing the needless suffering of turkeys and other animals by adopting a compassionate vegan diet.”
TVNL Comment: The people who do this will go right back to work and they will be angry as hell. Do the math. These people need to be fined to a point of leaving them homeless and imprisoned with people who will show them what cruelty is all about. They should also never be allowed to work with any animals in any capacity.