A Story And a Question
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

Robert Cohen, NotMilk.com
June 2010

Please show today's story to a meat eater and then ask the same question.

The Story

The following story was reported in the June 28, 2010 edition of The Daily American, a Somerset, Pennsylvania newspaper.

Angus Shot, Butchered in Farm Field by Michelle Ganassi

Paul Wheeler received a disturbing call Saturday morning: Someone had butchered his breeding cow in his own field.

Now a $10,000 reward is being offered for the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator.

Wheeler and his family own Wheeler Show Cattle in Somerset Township. Someone shot the cow, state police said, before cutting the tenderloin, back and hindquarter from the prized
animal. The cow was then left in the field in a pool of her own blood.

A family friend discovered the cow in a field along Husband Road and called the family.

"Basically, he told us our cow was tore up," Wheeler said. "Whoever did this knew what they were doing."

The cow was an Angus cross. The family raises show cattle for 4-H and FFA programs. The breeding cow was purchased a year and a half ago for $12,500. Wheeler said she was a good producer.

The farm is located next to the VFW pond. The cow was found about 75 to 100 feet from the road. They are offering a reward of $10,000 for the arrest and conviction of whoever committed the crime. State police are investigating.

"I still can't believe it happened," he said. "People don't understand how much work we have in those animals. I hope they find out who it is."

The Question

Each year, 3,200,000 milking cows have their throats cut and are then ground up into hamburger meat for human consumption. That adds up to 8,767 cows per day. 365 per hour. Fifteen cows during the minute that it took you to read this far.

Which story is of greater outrage to you?

During the past four seconds while you were contemplating the horror, another cow was stunned and her carotid artery and jugular vein were expertly slit with a very sharp knife. Many cows awaken during this final moment and choke on their own blood. Her legs flail. A man stands nearby the butcher with a chain saw ready to protect the human executioner by severing dangerous kicking bovine legs.

Please show today's story to a meat eater and then ask the same question.

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