Pork Council Shuts out COK from “Animal Welfare Briefing” on Capitol Hill – What do they have to hide?

Earlier today, the National Pork Producer’s Council (NPPC) hosted an “educational” briefing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC titled “Farm Animal Welfare: How We Really Treat Our Animals.”  Only thing is, the NPPC’s presentation — just like the factory farms that dominate the pork industry — was hidden behind closed doors. 

Compassion Over Killing went down to Capitol Hill to attend this so-called “fact- and science-based briefing” but we weren’t allowed in, and neither were numerous other members of the public who simply wanted to see what NPPC had to say. This of course makes one wonder: What is the NPPC telling our federal lawmakers and their staff that it doesn’t want the American people to know?

And we don’t have to wonder long. After all, it’s hard to defend standard pork industry practices such as locking pigs in cages so small they can’t even turn around for their whole lives, or cutting off the genitals of male piglets without any pain relief whatsoever. Apparently, it’s easier to simply keep consumers in the dark.

No matter how hard animal agribusiness may try to shield itself from public scrutiny or attempt to justify its cruel but standard practices, little is more powerful than the truth as revealed by undercover videos like COK’s that candidly capture the day-to-day miseries forced upon billions of factory-farmed animals.

While the pork industry may want to hide in secrecy, each one of us can take steps right now to stand up for animals. Start today by sharing videos that expose the painful realities of where pork comes from – and letting others know that the best way we can express our compassion for all animals is to simply choose meat-, egg-, and dairy-free foods.