Obama Administration Bans Downed Calf Slaughter

The Obama Administration approved a rule on Wednesday to ban the slaughter of calves that are too sick or injured to walk for sale as meat. The move closes a loophole in the Administration’s 2009 ban on slaughtering downed adult cattle for human consumption, which did not include calves. Until now, slaughterhouse workers would drag or push downed calves to the killing floor, causing intense suffering. Based on this ruling, slaughterhouse employees must euthanize all downed calves (a law that is already required with cattle), which will financially incentivize farmers to take better care of calves so they are healthy enough to walk.