In the 62 letters posted in 2014, four species are represented: cattle, swine, sheep and goats. The vast majority of enforcement actions (91.8 percent) were cattle- and swine-related, while sheep and goats made up the remaining 10 percent (8.2 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively).
When a humane-handling issue occurs, USDA-FSIS takes one of two primary enforcement actions. The first action is suspension, which halts inspection services until the humane-handling concern is appropriately addressed. Inspection resumes once a response is drafted and approved by the district office.