A huge round of applause to The HSUS and its lawsuit against Hallmark/Westland Meat Company in Chino, California, after an HSUS undercover investigator documented systemic cruel practices. The undercover investigation led to the largest recall of beef in the nation’s history, the conviction of two workers for animal cruelty, the closure of the Hallmark plant, and the issuance of new, upgraded federal regulations banning the slaughter of downer cattle.
Now, the U.S. Department of Justice joins with The HSUS and its lawsuit. HSUS’s Jonathan Lovvorn explains why.
What’s more, last Friday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that it has elected to intervene in the case and join The HSUS in seeking to hold the owners of this now infamous operation accountable. The Department of Justice intervenes in less than 25 percent of all Qui Tam actions, and this is the first time the powerful statute has ever been deployed against the mistreatment of farm animals.
It is difficult to overstate the importance of this statutory hammer for securing treble damages against slaughterhouse operators like Hallmark/Westland who routinely ignore the humane handling requirements of their federal contracts. With virtually no state or federal humane law enforcement for farm animals, factory farmers have had little to fear when their actions have resulted in appalling abuses of animals.
That all could change with the precedent set in this case. The risk of personal liability for treble damages—coupled with the promise of multi-million dollar bounties for workers that blow the whistle on animal abuse—could serve as a powerful deterrent for slaughterhouse owners operating in an area with woefully insufficient federal humane law enforcement.
The meat industry should take notice that if they defraud the American taxpayers by abusing animals, there will be serious consequences. And the Department of Justice should be commended for joining The HSUS in seeking to ensure that unscrupulous federal meat suppliers do not profit from the gross and systematic mistreatment of animals in violation of federal law.
