When Millions of Farmed Animals Are at Risk in Emergencies, Suffocation and Suffering are Likely

Posted on 04/27/2020 by Cameron Harsh
in the Animals in farming blog

As African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreaks decimated pig farms around the world last year, World Animal Protection released a statement urging governments to address inhumane methods for killing large numbers of pigs, including several cases of burning or burying pigs alive.

ASF may not have come to the United States, but the killing of large numbers of farmed animals is once again occurring here amid other emergencies. Two common culling methods allowed by our government and industry groups—ventilation shut down (VSD) and water-based foam—can be similarly horrific.