Athletes Unite to Fight High-Speed Pig Slaughter Bill

A group of prestigious athletes—including Olympic cyclist Dotsie Bausch, NBA champion Metta World Peace, and race car driver Andy Lally—joined animal-rights organization Compassion Over Killing (COK) in fighting the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) proposed rule called the “Modernization of Swine Slaughter Inspection.” The rule would expand the New Swine Slaughter Inspection System (NSIS) nationwide that allows pig-processing facilities to slaughter animals at unregulated rates and diminish the number of government inspectors on-site. COK’s new athlete-driven campaign “Not So Fast, USDA” aims to raise public awareness of the dangers involved in deregulating slaughter speeds. “As a society, we need to draw the line, and put safety, common sense, and compassion ahead of corporate profits,” World Peace said. “The modernization of our food safety systems should not come at the expense of public health, worker safety, or animal welfare.” The USDA is accepting public comments on the rule until May 2.