Hogs on Highway Revealed Hidden Horrors
Published by Minneapolis Star Tribune
On June 9, a semitrailer carrying 50 pigs rolled over on Interstate 694 in Little Canada. When state troopers arrived on the scene, 10 pigs had died and many others were roaming the highway, weaving through traffic.
To most consumers in the U.S., the transportation of animals used for food is invisible. It takes place in enclosed trailers and inside shipping containers. Incidents like the rollover on I-694 offer a brief glimpse into the horrors of farm animal transportation.
More than 20 million farm animals die on their way to factory farms or slaughterhouses each year in the U.S. alone. Most of these animals in transit are unable to lie down or rest, crowded into tight quarters without bedding. Trailers inevitably fill up with excrement as trips drag on, often for more than 24 continuous hours. Some animals succumb to dehydration, starvation or extreme temperatures.
