Activists Say State Board Not Doing Enough To Protect Animals

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Animal-rights activists lashed out at the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board Tuesday morning, saying the board is dragging its feet and not doing enough to protect animals.

Mercy For Animals released a new, undercover video Tuesday morning, hosted by TV star Bob Barker, that shows the conditions and treatment of calves at an Ohio veal farm. It was recorded covertly on April 19, 2010, during a walking tour of the farm.  It shows veal calves chained by their necks to narrow stalls, unable to turn around or easily lie down.  The activists say the video is an example of standard veal-production practices and they are calling on the Care Standards Board to immediately ban those practices.

WARNING: Video May Be Disturbing To Some Viewers.

NBC 4 attempted to contact the farm in question and has left messages but has not received a response from the farm.  NBC 4 will release the farm's name and location as soon as a statement is obtained.

Mercy for Animals says it sent a letter to the Care Standards Board demanding action.  The letter was dated Monday, August 30, 2010.  The group says it has not yet received a response from the Board.

"Veal production represents one of the cruelest industries on the face of the planet," says Corey Roscoe, Ohio Campaign Coordinator for Mercy for Animals. "Scientific studies and common sense tell us, animals with legs should be able to walk, run and exercise."

Roscoe says veal crates have been banned in five states and all 27 countries of the European Union.  She says the release of the video is intended to put pressure on the Care Standards Board to act quickly.

"We are hoping that showing this footage will pressure the Board to adopt these standards," she says.

On June 30, the Humane Society of the United States, Governor Ted Strickland and representatives of the Ohio agriculture industry reached an agreement that would, among other things, phase out the use of veal crates by 2017. Mercy for Animals wants the crates phased out immediately.

[Read the text of the agreement by clicking here.]

"They've been dragging their feet and we are pressuring the board to take a stand," Roscoe says.

"We are doing things now," says Bob Boggs, Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture and Chairman of the Care Standards Board. He says the subcommittee on veal is already in the process of drafting recommendations that will be presented and vetted by the Board's Technical Committee then presented to the full Board.

Boggs say the Board expects to have standards in place to deal with euthanasia and injured or "downer" animals by the end of September.  The committees are dealing with those issues first, he says, because they apply to all 13 species covered by the Board's jurisdiction.

"We will take as long as we need to make sure that the rules and regulations that we adopt not only take care of the health of animals but also the health of humans," Boggs says.  "I think there is middle ground but you can't find it 24 seconds after somebody says, 'Do something.'"

Mercy For Animals is the same group that released video from a dairy farm in Union County, showing workers beating cows with crowbars, stabbing them with pitchforks and punching them in their heads.

The group also wants consumers to make changes.

"We're calling on consumers to make more compassionate choices and one of those choices is to adopt a healthy vegan diet," Roscoe says.

Ohio Beef Council Statement:

"All Ohio cattle farmers, including those who raise veal calves, firmly understand that responsible animal care and well-being of our herds is our top priority.

"We take allegations of mistreatment on any livestock farm seriously, and advocate swift action against those found to be mistreating animals.  However, it is essential to discern between animal mistreatment and production practices that ensure the safety of farm animals and the safe production of food.  It is equally important to understand that this video was specially produced to further the particular agenda of one activist group.

"The veal sub-committee of the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board is currently studying various production and housing methods for veal calves. We anticipate that they will be making recommendations to the Livestock Care Standards Board for its consideration in the very near future, and we support this process of study and public dialogue.

"It is important to note that the American Veal Association made a 10-year commitment in 2007 to move toward group housing for veal calves by 2017, and recently reported that it is on track to do that. Although farmers believe a number of housing options are workable, we recognize that evolving consumer expectations require us to evolve as well. That is just another demonstration of farmers’ commitment to doing the right thing - both for our animals and for those to whom we provide food."

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