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HSUS official denies egg videos were staged

A top official of the Humane Society of the United States denies that video footage shot in Iowa egg barns may have been staged. 

This after a recent third-party audit of one of the companies allegedly shown in the video—Rose Acre Farms—uncovered very few of the problems depicted in the video. 

Paul Shapiro directs the factory farms campaign for HSUS. “This is really nonsense, in terms of these claims that somehow—some reason—these workers at these factory farms would be doing anything differently than they’re normally doing,” Shapiro says. “There’s no evidence of it and it’s just a way to try to deflect attention from the reality of what’s going on.”

Shapiro dismisses the results of the third-party audit of Rose Acres Farms.  He points to the now infamous case involving video shot at the Hallmark/Westland meat plant in California that led to the nation’s largest meat recall ever in 2008. “They had passed their third-party audits with flying colors, as well,” Shapiro says. “Several third-party audits had found them to be at the highest level possible.  They had even been awarded by USDA as supplier of the year because they supplied so much meat to the federal school lunch program.”

While HSUS claims that it only wants to eliminate animal cruelty, many in the agriculture industry are convinced that HSUS’ true mission is to abolish animal agriculture altogether.

Shapiro—an outspoken promoter of vegetarianism and veganism—has in the past made statements such as “Eating meat causes animal cruelty.”  In light of that, we asked Shapiro if he understands why farmers and ranchers are suspicious of HSUS’ true motives.

“That certainly is my position that many farm animals are treated cruelly,” he says, “and, yeah, I agree with you that—I think some people in the industry may be uncomfortable with that.”

But Shapiro again denies wanting to eliminate the livestock and poultry industries.  “We don’t have any type of orthodoxy on this type of issue. We support anything that anyone wants to do—no matter where on that spectrum they may be—that will help animals.”

Rather than attacking HSUS, Shapiro says, the animal ag industry needs to focus its efforts on finding and converting to more humane systems of production.

AUDIO: Paul Shapiro (30 min MP3)

  • What a tall tale, Paul Bunyan Shapiro. HSUS should go into the movie business. Oh wait, they are into making cult films! If you go to one of their “revivals” you will see age old film clips of animals in cages taken decades ago as they practice their mind control dribble on their cult, er, “vegan (you know, it’s really an eating disorder guised as a religion, er, philosophy, right?), followers”. Go to http://www.hsussucks.com and read the biography of HSUS, its origins, its sordid tales… its history of embezzlement and a trail of death… of both animals and humans. Read the articles page, then read the Dept of Homeland Security warning — that they support domestic terror, and not just in philosophy. Read the first ten pages of their report on same site. Then call you Atty General ans ask for an investigation into this criminal syndicate and their associates.

  • HSUS is a vegan run organization using incrementalism – moving the middle one legislative bill at a time – to make everyone vegan without choice. HSUS wants the public to think it is an “animal protection organization” when in fact it is an active animal rights lobbying group with 30 full-time lawyers. “Humane Society” confuses people who donate millions of dollars, thinking it will go to local shelters. Only approx. $400,000 goes to direct animal care! Most donations are used to lobby for laws at the local, state and federal level that, once passed, will be tightened and make more severe in following years to restrict and eventually eliminate animal ownership and meat/dairy/egg agriculture! They have a 50-year plan! See HumaneWatch.org

  • HSUS do something illegal to prove their point? Nah!

    I’m sure that gigantic Federal lawsuit they and their subsidiary the Fund For Animals got slapped with alleging money laundering, wire fraud and witness tampering over their “insider allegation” that Ringling Brothers regularly abused their elephants isn’t going to amount to much, either. Hee-hee!

  • I think Mr Shapiro needs to look at that video again. You see when someone is shooting an “undercover video” the person being photographed–in this case the man committing violent assaults on chickens- does not LOOK INTO THE CAMERA before and during the assault. If this “employee” was not himself also “undercover” he would be unaware of a camera and would not be purposefully looking into it as he performed his job.

    Anyone with a minimal IQ can see that this was a team of HSUS undercover operators filming one another for affect.

  • I understand that HSUS is against “factory farms” and “puppy mills” whatever that may mean. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard an explanation of what they are. That’s fine, I can agree and fully support that animals deserve to be treated well from birth to slaughter.

    My question is….

    What does HSUS think a humane farm is? I’ve looked over their web page and can’t find a description of what a humane farm is though there are lots of descriptions of what they are not. There are no guidelines, plans or suggestions about what constitutes “humane farming practices”.

    You can’t just tell people what they are doing wrong, you need to tell them what you think is right as well. “You can’t do that”, without a “you can do this” to follow leaves me wondering if there IS a view from HSUS about what their definition of humane farming is.

    Unless there is no such thing as humane farming in their eyes and what I’m hearing about them is true, about wanting to phase out Animal Agriculture…

  • Paul Shapiro is a strict vegan with a great salary coming from a so-called charity sitting on 200 million dollars. So the Humane Society of the United States, by name, is helping the pets we love so much, right? Wrong! Less than 1 percent, yes less than 1 percent of all donations go to hands on animal caring. 40 million dollars spent on mailings? Come on, America can do the math. HSUS is scary at best and should be shut down. Look at their tax returns posted on their website if you don’t believe me. The truth is out there! Do you want your grocery store eggs with a made in china stamp? HSUS would love that and wants YOU to be a vegan!

  • I totally support HSUS and their agenda to abolish animal agriculture. While they state their goals are not to end factory farming, I know that’s exactly what they want, and I cannot agree more. I am a vegan athlete who is a prime example that we do not need to rely on animals for food; nor do we need to use them for clothing, entertainment, or research. Animal exploitation is leading to environmental harm, a desensitized human spirit, and a vast misappropriation of natural resources. The research is clear and explicit. Religion, politics, and history are wrong. Let’s end this nonsense now and share the world with all sentient beings like it was intended.

  • That’s lovely, Eric. Here’s a suggestion: Go discuss “sentience” and “morality” and all those things you morons attribute to animals with a hungry tiger, or better yet, a bull shark.

    Fortunately for the rest of us, you’ll never breed because you’re sterile, and you will almost certainly die at least a decade early, assuming a disease of malnutrition or an accident you cause because you’re unable to think due to your organic brain damage doesn’t get you first.

    These are all the things which happen to MALE Vegan Jihadists. Women get hit even harder, what with the osteoporosis, anemia and organ failure. But of course, since one of the basic religious tennets of the Veganist Jihad, (just like the regular variety), IS rabid, raging misogyny, I guess that suits you, Wacky Wayne, Fat Old Kelly, etc. just fine, eh?

    Of course, the “chicken abuse” videos were staged. Sorry Wacky Wayne, the internet isn’t your friend, and cuts both ways.

  • Eric, I agree that HSUS, despite their claims, are trying to abolish animal ag; however, I do not agree that that is a good idea. A vegan lifestyle may work for you but it would not work for everyone. Not only does the majority enjoy eating meat but many cannot afford going vegan. What about developing countries? They don’t have a Natural Foods grocery store on the corner or money for that matter.

    Other considerations that you have obviously overlooked are land mass issues to sustain a vegan lifestyle and the by-products that are also made from animals. If you have ever used plastic made products (like a computer), make-up, certain medicines, a replacement heart valve, fertilizer (organic or otherwise), fiber glass, insulation, etc., etc. then you have used byproducts from just a pig. Think of all the products that come from animals besides food!

    Besides, if we don’t eat meat then what will we do with all the animals? Animals will breed, migrate into cities, spread disease because of over population, and will eat the vegan crops. What then?

    Only city dwellers would say stop eating animals because they have never had a 250 pound whitetail total their car because of over population. They have never had their livelihood destroyed by over populated wild boars or prairie dogs. They only know about cute and fuzzy bunnies, fat wallets, and selfish agendas. The real nonsense comes from people that have become so detached from reality and nature that they lack any understanding what so ever.

    We are third generation farmers. We raise hogs in confinement buildings, we use large machinery to plant and harvest our crops, and because of this we are able to support four households in our family and feed not only our community but our nation and other nations as well. Agriculture supplies over $50 billion dollars in exports and that was dated a few years back. You think we have a deficit now just think of what it would be if you took away agriculture in this country.

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