The Western Hog Exchange has vowed to review its animal handling practices and employee procedures after an undercover video depicted alleged abuse at its assembly yards in Red Deer.
Mercy for Animals turned over an edited version of the video to the CTV news program W-5.
Western Hog Exchange manager Brent Moen agreed to an interview with the program after he was allowed to view the 30 minute video, which was taken in July.
“They showed us a number of things that were disturbing to see and against our policy relative to the level of animal care we want to have,” Moen said.
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He asked W-5 to forward the video to the SPCA and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency so that action could be taken.
The program said it could not do so because it did not own the video.
Moen also asked for the uncut version so he could see what was going on before and after the incidents.
The assembly yard handles mostly market hogs destined for slaughter, but it also collects cull sows and boars. An employee who worked there for about two months made the video.
Moen said the video showed issues related to euthanasia, poor quality animals coming off trucks and sows that probably should not have been loaded off the farm.
“From the time they come off the truck to the time you make the decision, it’s not pretty. You can sensationalize it, but it is reality,” he said.
“Normally, the animals are all in good shape and in normal procedures they are treated very well. Obviously there are cases here where from a short piece of video it looks like maybe they weren’t.”
The hog exchange has brought in two outside specialists to examine all training programs and policies to improve procedures at the company’s two assembly yards.
All employees are trained on animal care and handling, and farmers who are present when the animals are unloaded can see if any were hurt or died in transit.
“I believe every person in the chain sincerely wants to do the best they can for the animals,” he said. “Sometimes people make mistakes and you have to deal with those.”
Angela Gretor of Alberta Farm Animal Care said the hog exchange handled the incident well by admitting things went wrong and introducing improvements.
“It is not acceptable pretending it didn’t happen,” she said.
Darcy Fitzgerald of Alberta Pork said education programs and other resources are available for producers and their staff.
“Where there are issues, there is always room for improvement. No industry is perfect,” he said.
Commodity organizations offer education programs on animal care and welfare and encourage producers to get the most up to date information, he said.
Pork producers must be certified under the quality assurance program to sell to a federal plant, which includes an animal welfare component.
Fitzgerald also questioned the motives behind those people taking the videos.
“The people who are taking these videos, I would question whether they are concerned about the welfare of animals or is their concern to stop livestock agriculture?”
He said authorities should be informed when animal abuse is discovered, rather than distributing videos.
