Slaughterhouse cruelty must end

California’s TV ads, “Happy cows come from California,” are certainly airing at inappropriate times, when every news channel is showing the gruesome video of cows being abused along with news of a massive beef recall. If viewers believe this inhumane treatment is an isolated incident, it is not.

The brutalities inflicted on these helpless animals are not a rarity, yet it took secret, undercover video to expose them this time. What about all the other slaughterhouses? How does one prevent an owner from fostering sadistic animal treatment to put a few more bucks in his pocket? And at the expense of the general public’s health!

Even if inspections were carried out regularly, which they are not, the vicious behavior of the workers directly responsible for the atrocities will not change until those greedy owners change or their operations are shut down. Are there any facilities where the animals are put to death painlessly and with dignity? We’re supposed to be an advanced, civilized culture, yet look at what we still allow to happen to innocent animals. It is pitiful and shameful.

The writer is an advocate for animal rights.