Temple Grandin, the leading animal welfare researcher in
North America, was greeted by ugly protests when she came to Guelph to speak
first to a private audience, then to a sold-out audience of 250 for a Farm
& Food Care Canada fundraising event.
The first ugly incident was a spray-painted sign near the
entrance to the University of Guelph pointing to it as an “abattoir”.
Philosophy professor Paul Ball told reporters he “lost it”
and in a “fit of rage” painted the graffiti.
He calls meat production “this industry of murder.”
He said Grandin's work only helps the meat industry.
Grandin took it in stride saying “I have a different
opinion. I think you can raise animals for meat in an ethical manner and eat
meat.”
She has helped many meat packers to design better handling
facilities for cattle and hogs, including the Cargill plant in Guelph.
It was her second visit to War Memorial Hall on the
University of Guelph campus. In 2012 she received an honorary science degree.
She works from Colorado State University, has received many
honours and awards for her animal welfare research and is a popular author of an
autobiography about her autism. She is 67.
Ball has been charged with mischief and has a court date of
Sept. 22.
After spray painting the university entrance stone, he was
part of a protest group that gathered outside War Memorial Hall for Grandin’s
speech.
Crystal MacKay, executive director of Farm & Food Care
Canada, said she was not surprised by Ball’s graffiti and the protest organized
by Tori Lion.
The organization she heads is at odds with a number of
animal welfare organizations, such as People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals (PETA), the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Mercy for
Animals.
