First-Ever Felony Charges of Cruelty to Factory-Farmed Birds

What will the workers do after they leave Aviagen and not have access to abuse? Most people who abuse animals are known to grow into something more, most prisons are filled with criminals who started out abusing animals. So, this is all great news, but those employees should get some psychological counseling and should not be left without some kind of monitoring.

First-Ever Felony Charges of Cruelty to Factory-Farmed Birds
In a huge victory for animals, a grand jury has issued 19 indictments for cruelty to animals against three former employees of Aviagen Turkeys, Inc. And it gets better—11 of the indictments are on felony charges. This marks the first time in U.S. history that factory-farm employees have faced felony cruelty-to-animals charges for abusing birds.

These indictments are the result of PETA’s undercover investigation at Aviagen’s factory farms in West Virginia, which uncovered workers stomping, kicking, throwing, and killing turkeys in unimaginably cruel ways. Our investigator’s video footage was seen by the West Virginia State Police, whose investigator then conducted his own prompt and thorough investigation, leading to these indictments in Greenbrier County. Next stop: Monroe County, where we anticipate additional charges to be filed for similar acts committed there.

It’s great to see the authorities take this case seriously. But Aviagen itself? Not so much. [read more]

“The greatness of a nation and it’s moral progress can be judged by the way it’s animals are treated.” – Gandhi Cruelty is a the precursor to more evil deeds, so if a country treats it’s animals inhumanly, it’s evidence of other serious issues.