Charlie DiMaria & Son Inc: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2024 (USDA)

313.1

While doing antemortem inspection around 11:30am on 5/21/2024, I noticed three cattle left the aisle and entered Pen 7. Then I noticed that Pen 7s gate was missing a bar in the middle. The missing bar allowed cattle to squeeze through the gate and enter the pen. The gate and pen 7 was tagged with U.S Reject tag NO B-46 600996. This is non-compliance with 313.1(a). 313.1 Livestock pens, driveways and ramps. (a) Livestock pens, driveways and ramps shall be maintained in good repair. They shall be free from sharp or protruding objects which may, in the opinion of the inspector, cause injury or pain to the animals. Loose boards, splintered or broken planking, and unnecessary openings where the head, feet, or legs of an animal may be injured shall be repaired.

313.1,313.2

Humane Handing Noncompliance: HATS Category II - Truck Unloading and HATS Category V (Suspect and Disabled) On January 18t, at approximately 800 hours, I witnessed incident while the truck was unloading during antemortem inspection. During antemortem inspection, I was notified by establishment employees that there were two non-ambulatory dairy cows in the transport truck. I noticed the truck drivers entering the truck. I didn’t know what was going on, therefore I investigated and looked into the truck. The truck drivers had a plastic bag on one of the non-ambulatory cow’s head. I asked what was going on. They said it was a way to get non-ambulatory cow to get up. I told them to remove the bag, then I told the establishment employees to retrieve the captive bolt, and both non-ambulatory cows were immediately euthanized. This incident is a violation of HATS Category II (Truck Unloading) and Category V (Suspect and Disabled). Humane Handing applies to all livestock. Once the vehicle carrying livestock enters the official slaughter establishment premises, the vehicle is considered to be part of that establishment’s premises. I discussed this incident, and the forthcoming noncompliance with REDACTED (Plant Manager).

313.1

Today on 11/16/2023 at approximately 0545 hours, while performing antemortem inspection, I, SPHV Dr. REDACTED observed the following noncompliance outside in the cattle pens: As I was performing antemortem inspection, I identified a suspect and had the establishment place the suspect cattle inside of the suspect pen. I observed, however, that the suspect pen was only partially covered with metal sheet and the other half of the pen exposed. I showed my findings to the slaughter lead REDACTED and QA REDACTED This is a noncompliance with 9 CFR 313.1(c) which states that, “U.S. Suspects... shall be provided with a covered pen sufficient, in the opinion of the inspector, to protect them from the adverse climatic conditions of the locale while awaiting disposition by the inspector. Therefore, QA REDACTED was notified of this noncompliance.