Undercover video shows chicken farmers punting, stomping and ripping apart live birds
A disturbing video of alleged abuse of chickens at a farm in Vancouver, Canada, has led to an investigation and the firing of multiple employees, according to local media reports.
On Tuesday, Mercy for Animals, an advocacy group that seeks to expose animal abuse at industrial farms, published video taken by an undercover worker at Greater Vancouver factory chicken farms staffed by Elite Farm Services employees, according to the Vancouver Sun.
In that video, workers can be seen throwing, kicking, stomping and handling chickens roughly. In several instances, workers also mime sexual actions on the chickens and appear to rip off body parts with their bare hands while the chickens are still alive.
[Warning: The following video has graphic content some viewers might find disturbing.]
“We are sickened with the footage and want to assure all our suppliers and producers that this is not reflective of who we are, our fundamental beliefs or behaviors we accept from our employees,” Elite Farm Services said in a statement Tuesday, CBC News reports.
According to the Vancouver Sun and CTV News, the company said it has fired five employees and one supervisor in light of the video, and also said it will be conducting an internal review. Mercy for Animals has also registered complaints with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, per CBC News.
“The video includes some of the most brutal and sadistic acts of violence against animals I have ever seen,” an official with the SPCA, which has the legal power to investigate incidents of animal abuse and recommend charges to prosecutors, told BBC News.
Elite Farms was employed by Sofina Foods Inc. to transport the chickens to slaughter, according to the BBC. In turn, Sofina sells chicken products to Loblaws, a prominent Canadian grocery chain.
Mercy for Animals said the person who took the videos reported the abuse to his superiors, but no action was taken.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the video has been viewed more than 110,000 times.
This story was originally published June 13, 2017 at 6:24 PM with the headline "Undercover video shows chicken farmers punting, stomping and ripping apart live birds."