From: Lz7274@aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2001 9:51 PM
To: FDADockets@oc.fda.gov
Subject: stop the madness!!

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. Downed Animal Protection Act 


(H.R. 443 & S. 515) Farm Sanctuary and other animal protection organizations 
are lobbying to pass the Downed Animal Protection Act in Washington, DC. This 
commonsense measure requires that animals who are too sick to stand (i.e. 
"downed animals") be humanely euthanized at stockyards