The Good and the Bad

By Adam Miller

Most times when animal welfare and the NFL are mentioned in the same sentence people are talking about Michael Vick, however Will Witherspoon, middle linebacker for the Tennessee Titans, is trying to change that.  Witherspoon owns, Shire Gate Farm, a farm in Owensville, Missouri and is striving to raise his animals with the highest of animal welfare standards in mind. Witherspoon is raising his cattle according to AWA (Animal Welfare Approved) standards and was awarded their seal of approval on July 20, 2010.

“The quiet and somewhat solitary lifestyle of farming can seem at odds with Witherspoon's day job of being a linebacker, a position where the job description is, basically, put yourself in the path of a really big and powerful player while he tries to run right through you. However, it's the transition from the thunderous, bone-crushing ferocity of football to the lush green peace of Shire Gate Farm that Witherspoon values.  Shire Gate Farm is not just a business--it's also a getaway for Witherspoon, his wife Rebecca and daughters Layne, Maya and Shaye. "Shire Gate is a total escape for us. It's a place where my daughters and I can work with the animals and the land. I use the companionship of the animals and the beauty of the land to refocus myself after the demands of playing football. Shire Gate is our retreat from the world.”

Witherspoon is just one of many positives in animal welfare that never makes the front page news. Examples like Michael Vick have put a stigma on professional athletes and the same is being done to local farmers. One bad egg can ruin it for the whole community and anti farming organizations are quick to focus on the bad and ignore the good.

Reference
http://www.animalwelfareapproved.org/2010/07/21/nfl-football-star-will-witherspoons-biggest-win-is-the-awa-seal/