Actor Ryan Gosling doesn’t just stop violence on the streets of New York—he also wants to stop it in America’s slaughterhouses. This morning, Gosling sent a letter on PETA’s behalf to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) asking officials to make sure that chickens and turkeys who have been exposed to disease are euthanized humanely. Currently, the USDA endorses a method that kills birds by submerging them in foam to slowly suffocate them—a painful process that can take up to 15 minutes.
“If dogs and cats were killed in this way, the person committing these acts would be charged with cruelty to animals,” writes Gosling. “Won’t you please end the foam-based suffocation practice immediately?”
Gosling’s letter to USDA officials follows:
September 8, 2011
Dr. Gregory Parham
Administrator
USDA/APHIS
Via e-mail: gregory.l.parham@usda.gov
Dear Dr. Parham,
I was alarmed to learn from my friends at PETA that the USDA has endorsed the use of an extremely cruel
foam-based suffocation system for chickens and turkeys who have been exposed to disease. This method
causes birds intense and prolonged suffering before they suffocate to death. If dogs and cats were killed in this way, the person committing these acts would be charged with cruelty to animals.
I urge you to use instead “whole-house gassing” (WHG), which painlessly renders birds unconscious with carbon dioxide before they are killed. WHG is internationally recognized as the most humane option and is successfully used throughout the world to suppress disease outbreaks. It also limits human exposure to disease by minimizing contact with the birds and promotes biosecurity by requiring that the birds remain in closed quarters during the process.
Won’t you please end the foam-based suffocation practice immediately and require chicken and turkey suppliers to use WHG in cases of disease outbreak?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Ryan Gosling
Image credit to Lu Chau/WENN.com
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