Posted: October 31st, 2009 - 10:44am
Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Agriculture Department and the Vermont state agriculture agency said they pulled operating licenses on Friday for a Vermont slaughter plant after viewing footage of mistreated veal calves.
The footage was from the Humane Society of the United States, which said it conducted an undercover investigation at Bushway Packing Inc of Grand Isle, Vermont, in August and September.
The video footage showed veal calves being "kicked, slapped and repeatedly shocked with electric prods and subjected to other mistreatment," the Humane Society said in a release.
A worker who answered the telephone at the plant on Friday said he didn't know anything about the investigation and could not confirm the plant had been shut.
One of the plant's owners, John McCracken, told Reuters he had just found out about the allegations and declined comment.