HORMEL...in the news

It's a terrible thing to think that certain people on this planet of ours can go to work everyday and do this sort of thing to somebody.

It's a sad situation that there are people like this in the world. If there is any justice in this precious life of ours and others, I pray that people like this get it served back to them.

Of course, we'll never be there to see if any justice is served to them...but there has to be some sort of karma that they will have to endure for their dastardly deeds.














People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals or PETA released a video today.

It shows what they call violations of state and federal laws.

Peta says it sent a worker undercover, using a hidden camera to expose the treatment these pigs were enduring at a hog farm in Iowa about 60 miles from Des Moines.

The video sent to ABC 6 NEWS shows a number of workers kicking and beating the pigs. It even shows a hog that was sprayed up the snout with a blue chemical causing it to suffocate.

"Over the course of three months PETA documented routine abuse and neglect of pigs at the hands of workers and managers at this farm. Including frequent kicking and beating of pigs, many heavily pregnant, with weapons ranging from metal gate rods and herding canes to workers fists!" said PETA Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch.

PETA says this farm does ship pigs to plants operated by Austin-based Hormel foods.

ABC 6 NEWS tried to contacted Hormel Foods about the PETA video. They declined to go on camera, but they did issue a statement.

A company spokeswoman called the video "appalling" and says it is completely unacceptable and inconsistent with their standards for animal handling.



Pigs are misunderstood in many ways: they are thought of as messy, portly, and simple-minded. These stereotypes could not be farther from the truth- Pigs are tidy, playful, loving and intelligent, and deserving of compassion and respect.

Pigs are very clean animals.

In fact, pigs are some of the cleanest animals around. They like to maintain separate eating sleeping and defecation areas. When given the room and freedom to decide, pigs choose to be clean and tidy.

Pigs enjoy private time with their newborn babies. Before giving birth, a pregnant sow will remove herself from the herd and build a nest out of leaves, branches, grass, or straw to give birth on. She will care for the piglets for several days, before leading her new babies to meet the rest of the herd.

Pigs are extremely intelligent. They are thought to be the smartest of all domestic animals. Pigs have an I.Q higher than dogs and are considered by animal experts to be more trainable than dogs or cats.

Pigs cannot sweat. They do not have sweat glands. During hot weather they will roll around in the mud or water. Then when the wind blows over them, the water from the mud evaporates, and cools them. The dried mud acts as a layer of sunscreen. Their mucky appearance has given them the undeserved reputation of being grubby animals.

Sweating like a pig, really means not sweating at all.

Pigs have an excellent sense of smell. That is why they have been used to search out truffles (rare fungus that grows underground) and drugs, and they have even been used to detect land mines.



I'm happy to say, that I gave up eating "pig" years ago, but to those of you who do....please do not buy Hormel products.