Tyson Foods, the nation's largest meat producer announced it has ended its contract with an Oklahoma farm after NBC News released a video of workers abusing the animals.
In the footage, workers are seen kicking, hitting and throwing pigs and slamming piglets into the ground. The video also shows sows restricted to crates, workers gouging pigs' eyes and another worker reportedly throwing a bowling ball at an animal's head. Another employee is shown kicking a pregnant sow because she was unable to move. The video was released by animal rights group Mercy For Animals.
According to NBC News, an undercover advocate, which media outlets identified as "Pete," worked at West Coast Farms for two months and said he personally witnessed and videoed the workers abuse on the animals. Pete said he reported the abuse to Farm owner, Lonnie Herring, at least three times, but reportedly no employee was "notified of their mistreatment of the animals." Herring said the workers, who were involved in the mistreatment of the animals, were fired.
Tyson Foods, who owns the sows and the boars, and sell most of their meat to Walmart, said the company had a contract with West Coast Farms to raise the animals.
"We're extremely disappointed by the mistreatment shown in the video and will not tolerate this kind of animal mishandling," spokesman Gary Mickelson wrote in an email to The Associated Press. "We are immediately terminating our contract with this farmer and will take possession of the animals remaining on the farm.
"We're serious about proper animal handling and expect the farmers who supply us to treat animals with care and to be trained and certified in responsible animal care practices. It's consistent with our core values to 'serve as stewards of the animals entrusted to us," he wrote.
Mercy for Animals has called for criminal charges to be filed. Animal welfare advocate, Temple Grandin, compared the treatment of the animals to the Westland Hallmark abuse, which held the largest meat recall in U.S. history and a $500 million settlement.
"If I was going to classify this video on a scale of 1 to 10, where a 10 is equal to the notorious Westland Hallmark video, I would classify this video as an 8," she said.
Danit Marquardt, a Walmart spokesperson, told The Huffington Post the handling of animals in the video was unacceptable. Marquardt said the company agrees with Tyson's decision to terminate the relationship with the farm.
"Farm animals have little protection against animal cruelty and standards are prescribed by the American Veterinary Medical Association who state when performed properly by trained individuals, 'blunt force euthanasia' is a common industry practice and results in immediate unconsciousness and rapid death," NBC reported.
