Program Term Archive
At Slaughter
The Welfare of Birds at Slaughter in the United States
Farmed AnimalsExamination of how the USDA has failed to prevent cruelty to birds during the slaughter process in the United States.
Humane Slaughter Update
Farmed AnimalsAnalysis of federal and state enforcement of humane slaughter laws, from 2019–2022; follow-up to AWI’s 2020 Humane Slaughter Update.
Custom-Exempt Slaughter: A License to Neglect and Abuse Farm Animals
Farmed AnimalsAn AWI review of the expanding practice of custom-exempt slaughter and its impact on the treatment of animals at slaughter; 2023; 8 pages.
Humane Methods of Slaughter Act
Farmed AnimalsThe federal Humane Methods of Slaughter Act was signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on August 27, 1958. It was expanded in 1978 and 2002.
Securing Funding for Animal Welfare Priorities
Companion Animals, Equines, Farmed AnimalsIn encouraging news, both Senate and House fiscal year 2026 Agriculture Appropriations bills winding their way through Congress contain provisions that continue to bar horse slaughter operations in the United...
Out of Sight
Farmed AnimalsIn Gail Eisnitz’s memoir, Out of Sight: An Undercover Investigator’s Fight for Animal Rights and Her Own Survival, she recounts a 40-year career working to understand and expose the gruesome truth...
New Research: USDA Fails to Pursue Prosecutions of Slaughter Plants, Despite Repeat Violations
Press ReleaseMay 22, 2025Farmed AnimalsRepeat violators of the federal Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA) continue to escape meaningful enforcement by the US Department of Agriculture, resulting in continued animal cruelty and suffering, according...
At Slaughter
Farmed AnimalsEvery hour, some 1,000,000 chickens, 14,000 pigs, and 4,000 cows are slaughtered for human consumption in the United States. It is a process that takes place far from public view,...
USDA’s Bird Flu Strategy Inadequate to Control Disease and Prevent Inhumane Treatment
Press ReleaseMarch 7, 2025Farmed AnimalsThe Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) appreciates that the US Department of Agriculture has developed a revised strategy to address the staggering impacts of the current bird flu outbreak, yet the...
More than 860 Veterinarians, Students Call on AVMA to Discourage Cruel Killing Methods
Press ReleaseFebruary 6, 2025Farmed AnimalsHundreds of veterinarians and veterinary students from across the country are urging the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) to revise its guidelines regarding methods of killing farmed animals during emergencies....