families. The Livestock Care Standards Board has
created standards for the care and handling for each
species of livestock. Investigations within a county
are completed by the county Humane Officer or
the police department. Although the standards are
written by individuals representing the agriculture
community and include detailed descriptions
regarding proper livestock handling and care, they are
enforced by individuals who may have no livestock
knowledge at the county level. Potentially, the lack
of knowledge by these investigators could lead to
problems for livestock producers. For example, the
Body Conditioning Score of your cattle after they
have been lactating for a couple months is not the
same, and should not be the same, as after calves
have been weaned. Would someone lacking education
in animal science or agriculture know the difference?
Farm Bureau has an opportunity to address
this lack of knowledge through education and
building relationships. We need to be working at
the grassroots level to assure informed sources are
providing education to the individuals investigating
animal welfare claims. Additionally, we need to be
creating relationships with these individuals, so if
there is ever a question or concern, the county Farm
Bureau members are the resource these investigators
contact. Creating these relationships may be as
simple as contacting the investigator for a meeting,
or as the Monongalia County Farm Bureau does,
inviting them to a county Board Meeting. County
Farm Bureau members should also work diligently
to support WVFB Policy #27 and create livestock
committees at the county level to investigate these
claims. Having multiple individuals with a variety
of knowledge is an excellent way to protect our
livestock producers. The members of this livestock
committee could also serve as valuable resources for
producers. These individuals could answer questions
producers may have, or address concerns of animal
health to assure the animals are protected and are
given the proper care.
Public education is equally as important as
education for investigators. In some cases, the
individual making the claim is simply someone who
is unaware of why the animal may be in a certain
condition. For example, if you had only seen beef
cows and suddenly you saw a dairy animal, you may
conclude the animal is malnourished. But farmers
know these animals have been raised for completely
different purposes and as such have very different
genetic traits. The public needs to understand animal
welfare is important to our livelihood, because
healthier animals are better producing animals. The
agriculture industry must always be transparent about
our practices and why they are necessary for the
health and safety of the animal. And producers must
continuously seek education to ensure they are using
the best practices in their operation.
Harsh penalties exist for producers charged
with negligent care of their animals, but what
consequences exist for individuals who falsely accuse
livestock producers of animal abuse or neglect?
Even if a producer takes excellent care of their
animals, a false claim can destroy their reputation;
and if they are forced to stop operations during the
investigation, they may lose a substantial amount of
income. Media sources, including social media, are
quick to spread the word when an individual is under
investigation for animal negligence. Many states have
adopted food slander laws, which create punishments
for individuals degrading a food product without
probable cause. Would similar consequences be
beneficial to protect livestock producers? Currently,
there is no punishment for making false accusations
against a producer. If consequences were in place
to punish individuals intentionally trying to harm
agriculture operations, would people think twice
before falsely accusing agriculture producers?
Farm Bureau members need to work to establish
livestock committees in every county. We must
educate consumers and producers regarding animal
welfare, and we should seek to punish individuals
who falsely accuse livestock producers. We must
build relationships with the county humane officers,
or the individuals investigating animal welfare
claims. We need to continue to work closely with the
Livestock Care Standards Board and our government
officials to ensure the policies for handling and care
are realistic and attainable. Together, we can protect
both our livestock and our livestock producers and
maintain consumer confidence, because as the West
Virginia Farm Bureau motto says, “We pull the most,
when we pull together.”
West Virginia Farm Bureau News 11