When I was in high school I worked one summer in a meat locker plant that was a family operation. We went from the live animals in the kill pens all the way to the retail counter, all in-house. (including curing/smoking hams, making sausage, and lunch meats, rendering lard, etc.
Henry Zimmerman and his wife were the owner-operators. Henry would fire your ass in an instant for mistreating an animal in that plant. He thought it would taint the meat if the animal was distressed. He also didn't want any bad PR. But mostly he believed that man had no excuse for mistreating one of God's creations. Food plants aren't all bad.
Henry has long since passed away, but he was a great guy to work for.
