From: Gary Gill [garygill@pa.net]
Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2001 10:04 AM
To: FDADockets@oc.fda.gov
Subject: Downed animals

 I urge you to grant the petition to prohibit slaughter of downed animals.  Docket number 98p-0151/cp1. 

Belw are reason for granting this petition: 

Animals who are too sick or injured even to stand should not be allowed to enter the human food chain. 

In addition to posing an increased risk for bacterial contamination, there is evidence that some downed animals may be afflicted with a form of BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy or "Mad Cow Disease"), a disease which has been linked to a fatal human illness (CJD or Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease). 

It is impossible to move downed animals humanely, and they are typically pushed with tractors or dragged with chains - inhumane processes which cause injuries ranging from bruises and abrasions, to broken bones and torn ligaments. 

Downed animals comprise a very small percentage of animals slaughtered, and prohibiting their marketing will cause no undue economic hardship. 

Industry experts have estimated that 90% percent of downed animals can be prevented with better care and handling. Removing the market for downed animals will provide an incentive to industry to prevent downed animals in the first place. 



Gary Gill

Lewistown Pa.