PRESS KIT: INVESTIGATION FINDS ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT BACTERIA, RAMPANT INFECTIONS AT MAJOR PIG FARM

Contact: Matt Johnson, matt@directactioneverywhere.com, (319) 464-5985

INVESTIGATION FINDS antibiotic resistant bacteria, RAMPANT INFECTIONS at major pig farm

July 1, Kings County, CA – Today, the animal rights network Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) released an investigation into a “natural” Hormel pork farm following on the heels of a lawsuit announced yesterday by the Animal Legal Defense Fund in Bloomberg. The investigation revealed the first-ever finding of antibiotic resistant Staph infection at a specific major American pork farm as well as mass use of the antibiotic carbadox, in the process of being banned by the Food and Drug Administration as a carcinogen at all levels (see lab results here). The investigators donned biosecurity suits to enter the Farmer John finishing facility for Hormel - supplier to Costco, Safeway, and the LA Dodgers - and found thousands of languishing animals, including piglets too weak to stand and animals with grotesque, tennis ball-sized abscesses. Former Baywatch actress Alexandra Paul took part in the investigation.

“When I stepped foot into Farmer John, I realized this was not a farm - this was the world’s worst infirmary, where thousands of animals suffer horrific diseases that risk spreading to humans,” said lead investigator Wayne Hsiung.

DxE documented gruesome scenes such as lame animals being trampled to death and piles of dead piglets. In one instance, DxE investigators saw a still-living piglet so sick she was unable to escape being eaten alive. The investigators felt morally compelled to remove the piglet and rush her to receive veterinary care, where she was diagnosed with pneumonia and septic arthritis. Today the baby pig (who the rescuers named “Miley” after the famous pop singer and animal advocate) lives safely at an animal sanctuary, but had she remained she might have been slaughtered and fed to members of the public, including children.

Last week, DxE released an investigation into the notorious dog meat trade in Yulin, China covered on ABC’s Nightline. There the activists saw dogs beaten to death, urinated on by workers, and suffering from severe skin infections, triggering a public outcry and demands prominently featured on the progressive website MoveOn.org that President Obama push China to end the trade. DxE activists assert that the conditions on Farmer John closely resemble those in Yulin, China and are likely worse.

“What I saw in China shocked the conscience, but what we are doing to pigs and countless other animals in the United States does not just rival that - it outdoes it,” said DxE investigator Julianne Perry.

Protests are planned at Costco stores and 4th of July events around the country.

Access DxE’s full press kit, including videos and high resolution photos, here.

Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) is a network of animal rights activists working to challenge speciesism throughout society.  We use creative protest to challenge the use of animals for food, clothing, experimentation, and entertainment.  Visit Direct Action Everywhere on Facebook and at http://directactioneverywhere.com/.  Follow us on Twitter @DxEverywhere.

###

• "Farmer John is one of the most hellish places I have ever been - and it is representative of a fundamentally violent industry,” said actor and founder of Last Chance for Animals Chris DeRose.

• “Animal farms like Farmer John are a breeding ground for superbugs, and when you step foot in them you can smell the misery these bugs cause animals and may soon cause humans,” said DxE investigator Sara Muñiz.

• “If we want to stop this horrific violence, we must all join together to oppose animal agriculture,” said former Baywatch actress and investigator Alexandra Paul.

See a gallery of photos from the investigation below. Click here to download all images as a zip file. For b-roll video, click here.

See a full investigative report here. Details include the results of laboratory tests on antibiotic resistance for pathogens found on the farm, background on the threat of antibiotic resistance, and notes on Father John’s abuse and neglect.

Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) is a grassroots network of animal rights activists. Starting in the San Francisco Bay Area in late 2013, DxE has since grown to have actions in over 154 cities in 30 different countries. Drawing from the power of the grassroots and groundbreaking social scientific research, DxE uses creative nonviolent protest to challenge speciesism throughout society.

In January and November 2015, DxE released investigations into two of Whole Foods market’s most notable suppliers, including a “Certified Humane” egg farm and a turkey facility that was one of only three farms out of Whole Foods’ 2100+ suppliers to receive a 5+ rating on its Global Animal Partnership welfare scheme. The investigations and the ensuing protests around the world received coverage in hundreds of news outlets, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post. 

In February 2016, DxE released an investigation into JS West, an egg supplier that was hailed as a model of the most notable animal welfare law in U.S. History, California’s Proposition 2, sparking coverage in numerous outlets on the enforcement and regulatory failure of the law.

DxE’s Open Rescue Network provides open-source educational tools and resources to democratize investigatory work. The Open Rescue Network intends to serve as infrastructure for independent, grassroots teams of animal rights investigators around the world.

Direct Action Everywhere has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, CNN, and the Washington Post among hundreds of other media outlets. See press highlights and a full press archive here. To contact our press team, email press@directactioneverywhere.com.