Sean Patrick Maloney: “the practice of marketing downed animals--animals unable to walk because of sickness or illness-- is an inhumane and…”

“the practice of marketing downed animals--animals unable to walk because of sickness or illness-- is an inhumane and disease-ridden practice. It's cruel to animals. It's bad for people. It's good for nothing. Many livestock yards pass on the costs and disposal of downed animals to slaughterhouses. Often, the result is torture. Downed animals which cannot move must be prodded and dragged to be transported from a livestock yard to a slaughterhouse. Bacterial infection runs high in downed animals. The Humane Society reports an elevated risk among downed animals for ``Mad Cow Disease'' which has been fatal to humans. Since the majority of downed animals are milk cows contamination could be widespread. Unfortunately, the industry's self-imposed regulations against marketing downed animals are not being met. So we need to legislate uniform industry standards by passing the Ackerman amendment.”