Egg Farm Managers Fire Back At Animal Rights Organization
April 7, 2009 Reported By: Susan Sharon
Managers of a commercial egg farm in Turner are firing back against the animal rights organization that secretly planted an investigator at their operation. They're accusing the man, who was hired in December, of breaking a state law that prohibits acting as a paid investigator without a license. The farm is also hoping to move beyond the allegations of animal cruelty made by the undercover worker.
For nearly a week now, Bob LeClerc's telephone has been ringing off the hook. LeClerc is the compliance manager for the former DeCoster Egg Farm now collectively known as Maine Contract Farming and Quality Egg of New England. Ever since the vegan animal rights group Mercy For Animals released undercover video allegedly showing hens being spun by the neck, kicked into manure pits and left to die in the trash, LeClerc and his bosses have been under pressure to defend their practices and their livelihoods. They're also going on the offensive.
"An old Maine term is bamboozled," LeClerc says. "We were indeed bamboozled by this particular individual."
The Mercy for Animals investigator was hired by Maine Contract Farming in December. But LeClerc says at the time he never presented any credentials as such. Maine law says it is a crime to act as a paid investigator without a license. And the farm is hoping state officials will hold Mercy for Animals accountable for this lapse. Read More
Regardless of what really happened at this farm, the damage is already done. However, the interesting part of this article is that even though Mercy for Animals is claiming that this egg farm is guilty of breaking animal cruelty laws, apparently they may have broken the law as well. It falls in line with ideology of these groups that they are above the law and will do anything necessary to end animal agriculture.
3 comments:
Isn't this typical? Animal ag was caught doing something heinous, yet wants to blame the person responsible for exposing it?
And honestly are we still saying these are "allegations"? The acts are on tape... it's kinda "reality" at this point.
Finally weigh the severity of each "crime"... One caused no physical harm to anyone. The other brutalized living beings... I think any rational person will judge the later to be the most offensive.
It's awful to present to the consumumer a product said to be made under certain "standards", and then to distribute that product under an entirely different set of rules. I can't blame anyone who eat eggs, to be very upset at this misrepresentation.
In this country people are presumed innocent until proven guilty. So if you would like to throw the Constitution out the window I guess that's your business, but I won't. And finally, are you advocating that it's OK to break the law as long as no physical harm was done?
Those aren't the values of most Americans Bea. You fringe points of view really come out when you say stealing, lying, etc, are no big deal.
Yes, I know about the law being innocent until proven guilty. But I also have great confidence in my eyesight. I saw the chickens being spun by their necks... I saw them kicked into the manure pit. Are you saying these things didn't occur? Trick photography? Spliced film? Doubtful. Therefore "allegations" is not accurate because of "fact".
And "no" I was not saying that it was "okay" to disregard laws... Just that in relation to each other... the weight and severity of one was much more atrocious than the other.
Two hundred years ago many folks aided slaves who navigated the underground railroad. They too were committing "crimes"... but the extent of the misdeeds were nominal considering their motivation.
So it is with undercover investigators - especially if they catch the perp with his hands in the cookie jar, so to speak... And your egg man has definately been exposed.
So slap a fine against Mercy for Animals... and shut the egg (ware)house down. That seems like a reasonable meting of justice to me.
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