From: justchris63 com [justchris63@hotmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, March 17, 2001 12:57 AM
To: FDADockets@oc.fda.gov
Subject: concern

3-16-01


U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Dockets Management Branch
5630 Fishers Ln., Rm. 1061
Rockville, MD 20852
E-Mail: FDADockets@oc.fda.gov

Dear Sirs/Madams:

I’m writing in support of the petition filed by Farm Sanctuary, docket 
number 98P-0151/CP1, that would prohibit the slaughter of downed animals.

Due to the emphasis on mass scale production and bottom-line costs at 
“factory farms”, and the attendant de-emphasis of normal life patterns, many 
over-stressed animals have become too weak and sick to stand up or move on 
their own.  These “downed” animals are hoisted, shackled, and dragged by the 
leg or neck or pushed by tractors and forklifts to the slaughterhouse. These 
sick animals suffer torn tendons, lacerations and broken bones from this 
brutal handling. It’s a depressing fact that most downed animals are fully 
conscious and suffer acutely during this process.

One reason this petition is so important is that when factory farm 
operations across the U.S. encounter an animal that cannot walk, they often 
quickly ship them to adjacent states that do not have regulations for downed 
animals.  Here in Minnesota we have many
reports of operators shipping the downed animals to Iowa or Wisconsin. There 
needs to be uniform, national regulations to avoid this loophole.   We must 
prevent operators from simply transferring downed animals to other states 
for slaughter to avoid regulation.

This is especially important at this point in time, because in addition to 
posing an increased risk of bacterial contamination, there is the potential 
risk that some downed animals may be afflicted with a form of bovine 
spongiform encephalopathy, the disease that has been
linked to the fatal Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Sincerely,
Christopher Coen
3639 14th Ave., S.
Minneapolis, MN 55407
612-724-0469

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