LELAND, IA - An animal rights group says undercover video shot at a north Iowa hog facility shows the animals living in unacceptable conditions.
They want Iowans to speak up against a proposed bill that would ban undercover video in animal facilities.
The undercover video comes from Hawkeye Sow Centers just north of Leland.
The video, shot by the group Compassion Over Killing, says it shows the pigs living in what are called gestation crates which provide minimal space.
The group says the majority of these pigs will be brought to a familiar food company.
“Our investigator was told that many of the piglets born at Hawkeye Sow Centers will end up on store shelves and marketed under the name Hormel,” said Erica Meier, executive director.
Hormel recently announced plans to end gestation crate housing in its company owned facilities. However, Meier says they did not commit to extending that new policy to its independent suppliers like Hawkeye Sow Centers.
In a statement, Hawkeye Sow Centers says, “HSC does not condone any type of willful animal abuse and has zero tolerance for all employees. HSC believes actions depicted in the video represent normally accepted production practices but also recognizes the need to further investigate.”
A bill that would ban these undercover investigations on Iowa farms was proposed last year and passed the state house but stalled in the senate.
It's being discussed in the legislature again this year.
