HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle
Expand

California Killed 1.2 Million Birds To Stop a Virus. Pet Owners Say They Were Terrorized.

Views:994
@ReasonVids

The euthanasia campaign may be necessary to prevent the spread of the Newcastle disease, but bird owners say that it's being carried out in a cruel manner.
------------------
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ReasonTV?subconfirmation=1
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Reason.Magazine/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/reason

Reason is the planet's leading source of news, politics, and culture from a libertarian perspective. Go to reason.com for a point of view you won't get from legacy media and old left-right opinion magazines.
----------------
Kerri Hand became a chicken owner for the eggs, but then she fell in love. A retired cop who lives in rural southern California, Hand and her children came to view their flock as part of the family.

In late 2018, Hand returned home to find a notice stuck on her door from the California Department of Food and Agriculture stating that there was an outbreak of a highly deadly avian virus in her neighborhood, which can wipe out massive flocks. State and federal health officials had ordered all birds across several counties under immediate quarantine, including Hand's.

To date, officials have searched thousands of homes and farms and identified just under 500 infections. After determining that quarantine wasn't enough, they ordered the mandatory euthanasia of over 1.2 million birds in high-risk areas surrounding the infections, including healthy birds. The euthanasia campaign may be necessary to prevent the spread of the Newcastle disease, but according to the bird owners who spoke with Reason, health officials have carried out their duties in a cruel manner, leaving bird-owning families with lasting emotional scars.

Hand complied with the state's quarantine orders for months, and paid to have her birds tested by a veterinarian—tests that came back negative for Virulent Newcastle Disease. But as she and her family were preparing to celebrate Good Friday, a team of police and state workers dressed in biohazard suits unexpectedly arrived at her house, with a search warrant and an order to kill her family's flock. Hand's children watched their pets die.

Workers kill birds by breaking their necks, shooting them with firearms, or suffocating them with CO2 gas—methods that officials maintain are humane. But Hand disagrees. She recalls that workers placed her birds in a trash can with no viewing window, forcing them to lift the lid to check if the birds had died. Each time, oxygen leaked in, prolonging the process.

Hand recorded and shared live video of the slaughter in a Facebook group she created called Save Our Birds, and it went viral. The group gained thousands of members, and Hand began organizing volunteers to show up at kills and film on their phones. She alleges they've documented scores of abuses by state workers and police.

Produced, written, shot, and edited by Justin Monticello 

Camera by John Osterhoudt

Music: "White Hats" by Wayne Jones; "I've Just Had an Apostrophe!" by Spazz Cardigan; "Butchers" by Silent Partner; "Versace Beat" by Yung Logos; "Gaia in Fog" by Dan Bodan; "Grasshopper" by Quincas Moreira; "Pinckney" by The 126ers

libertarian
,
reason magazine
,
reason.com
,
reason.tv
,
reasontv
,
california
,
chickens
,
birds
,
virulent newcastle disease
,
vnd
,
virus
,
public health
,
animal health
,
animal rights
,
kerri hand
,
justin monticello
    Thumbnail for The Failure of LBJ's Great Society and What It Means for the 21st Century32:55
    The Failure of LBJ's Great Society and What It Means for the 21st Century
    ReasonVids
    1013 views
    Thumbnail for 3 Reasons Eric Cantor Lost - And Why Republicans Will Continue to Lose2:05
    3 Reasons Eric Cantor Lost - And Why Republicans Will Continue to Lose
    ReasonVids
    929 views
    Thumbnail for The Rule of Nobody: Saving America from Dead Laws and Broken Government - Q&A with Philip K. Howard46:55
    The Rule of Nobody: Saving America from Dead Laws and Broken Government - Q&A with Philip K. Howard
    ReasonVids
    1022 views
    Thumbnail for Protesters Smoke Weed Outside of the White House1:05
    Protesters Smoke Weed Outside of the White House
    ReasonVids
    957 views
    Thumbnail for "Black History Month" or Baseball0:21
    "Black History Month" or Baseball
    AOUisgay
    501 views
    Thumbnail for Dilbert Creator Scott Adams on Donald Trump's "Linguistic Kill Shots"8:00
    Dilbert Creator Scott Adams on Donald Trump's "Linguistic Kill Shots"
    ReasonVids
    1124 views
    Thumbnail for A Glimpse Into the Near Future of America0:25
    A Glimpse Into the Near Future of America
    bestofupgoat
    542 views
    Thumbnail for I Made A Game Within 48 HOURS | Ludum Dare 46 | BMo8:50
    I Made A Game Within 48 HOURS | Ludum Dare 46 | BMo
    tech.topic
    681 views
    Thumbnail for How the Pyramids were built Didgeridoo0:20
    How the Pyramids were built Didgeridoo
    AOUisgay
    576 views
    Thumbnail for COVID Proves Andrew Yang’s UBI Won’t Work6:33
    COVID Proves Andrew Yang’s UBI Won’t Work
    ReasonVids
    955 views
    Thumbnail for Chris "Jesus" Ferguson Cutting Carrots at Reason0:53
    Chris "Jesus" Ferguson Cutting Carrots at Reason
    ReasonVids
    1150 views
    Thumbnail for How The World's Finest Shotguns Are Made | Alec Steele39:55
    How The World's Finest Shotguns Are Made | Alec Steele
    invidious
    71 views
    Thumbnail for Privatize It: Reason Saves Cleveland With Drew Carey, Ep. 39:20
    Privatize It: Reason Saves Cleveland With Drew Carey, Ep. 3
    ReasonVids
    983 views
    Thumbnail for The Simpsons Mr. Sparkle Commercial2:17
    The Simpsons Mr. Sparkle Commercial
    clips
    991 views
    Thumbnail for Trump Warns He Can Pressure Russia for Peace But Hopes It Won’t Be Necessary | Newsweek0:53
    Trump Warns He Can Pressure Russia for Peace But Hopes It Won’t Be Necessary | Newsweek
    invidious
    86 views
    Thumbnail for How to help0:38
    How to help
    bestofupgoat
    365 views
    Thumbnail for Is Homeschooling a Universal Human Right?13:51
    Is Homeschooling a Universal Human Right?
    ReasonVids
    894 views
    Thumbnail for Anti-trans activist explains trans fanaticism 2:19
    Anti-trans activist explains trans fanaticism
    bestofvoatxyz
    570 views
    Thumbnail for FEE's Lawrence W. Reed5:29
    FEE's Lawrence W. Reed
    ReasonVids
    895 views
    Thumbnail for Flying cotton ball0:09
    Flying cotton ball
    bestofupgoat
    187 views
    Thumbnail for this guy knows0:37
    this guy knows
    bestofupgoat
    459 views
    Thumbnail for The Boys Are Back in Town (to kill you) | JerryTerry2:45
    The Boys Are Back in Town (to kill you) | JerryTerry
    invidious
    342 views
    Thumbnail for He Relaxed. Showed kindness, even. Big mistake!0:35
    He Relaxed. Showed kindness, even. Big mistake!
    bestofupgoat
    136 views
    Thumbnail for Every Type of DEAD Rails Player.. | Vindooly0:27
    Every Type of DEAD Rails Player.. | Vindooly
    science.topic
    133 views
    Thumbnail for Why McCain Won't Talk About Ideas2:06
    Why McCain Won't Talk About Ideas
    ReasonVids
    935 views

points

Permalink
Reply
libertarian
,
reason magazine
,
reason.com
,
reason.tv
,
reasontv
,
california
,
chickens
,
birds
,
virulent newcastle disease
,
vnd
,
virus
,
public health
,
animal health
,
animal rights
,
kerri hand
,
justin monticello
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle