Actress Pamela Anderson blasts Lilydale in open letter over viral turkey torture video

Famed Canadian Actress Calls On Turkey Giant to Reform Slaughter Practices Following Release of Hidden-Camera Video Showing Turkeys Shackled, Shocked, Cut Open, and Scalded Alive 

TORONTO, Nov. 1, 2016 /CNW/ - In an open letter sent this morning to Michael Latifi, chairman and CEO of Lilydale's parent company, Sofina Foods, actress Pamela Anderson expresses sadness upon learning the company is involved in "truly horrific animal abuse" and calls for institutional change. The letter follows the release of an undercover video by the international animal protection organization Mercy For Animals showing Lilydale turkeys cut open and scalded alive at a slaughterhouse in Abbotsford, British Columbia.

In the letter, Ms. Anderson writes:

		I watched hidden-camera video—shot by a whistleblower working at Lilydale—showing frightened turkeys painfully shackled upside down, shocked with electricity, sliced open, and even submerged in tanks of scalding water while still alive and able to feel pain.
		I stopped eating turkeys and other animals a long time ago because I know they are as intelligent and friendly as the dogs and cats we all know and love, and they deserve to be protected from needless cruelty and violence.
		But even people who eat meat can agree that animals shouldn't be tortured to death. Yet that's exactly what is happening at Lilydale.

To view the full letter, visit: https://www.mercyforanimals.org/files/Lilydale-Pamela.pdf

Ms. Anderson joins Mercy For Animals in calling on Sofina Foods to follow the lead of Maple Leaf Foods, the largest meat producer in Canada, in pledging to implement a series of meaningful animal welfare policies to end the worst forms of animal abuse in its supply chain. Specifically, Mercy For Animals is urging the company to replace its cruel live-shackle slaughter system with less cruel controlled-atmosphere-stunning systems that eliminate the horrific suffering caused by shackling, shocking, cutting open, and scalding conscious animals.

"We thank Pamela Anderson for helping draw attention to this important issue," said Krista Hiddema, vice president with Mercy For Animals in Canada. "If consumers knew about Lilydale's foul treatment of turkeys, they would be sick to their stomachs. Cutting open live animals and scalding them to death is disgusting abuse that no company with morals should support."

To view the hidden-camera video, please visit LilydaleTurkeyTorture.ca.

SOURCE Mercy For Animals

Krista Hiddema: 416-666-3093