Farm Animals
Voters in six states to make crucial decisions for animals on November ballot
Our cause has made some of its most tangible gains by qualifying and passing ballot initiatives in the last quarter century, bringing issues directly to voters when lawmakers won’t take action on common-sense reforms. Since The HSUS and The Fund for Animals put their shoulders . . .
Canadian on trial for giving a suffering animal a drink
As I write this, a woman in Canada named Anita Krajnc is standing trial for an act of pure compassion. Her alleged crime? In June of last year, the Toronto resident let pigs crowded into a trailer on a scorching summer day, obviously parched and . . .
SeaWorld sees food in a new light
When I announced with SeaWorld CEO Joel Manby in March that the theme park would stop breeding orcas at all of its operations, I emphasized that the pledge was just one element of a bigger set of commitments from the company on animal welfare. (Last . . .
Burger King says no more battery cages and gestation crates in Western Hemisphere
Today, Burger King — via its parent company Restaurant Brands International — became the first major fast food chain to set a timeline for switching to 100 percent cage-free eggs and gestation crate-free pork in its entire supply chain in Latin America. In 2012, our . . .
States, corporations acting to end extreme confinement of animals on industrial farms
Today, my colleague Paul Shapiro participated in a debate sponsored by WBUR, The Boston Globe, and UMass Boston about Question 3 – the statewide ballot measure in the Commonwealth that bans cage confinement of veal calves, breeding sows, and laying hens, and also stipulates that . . .
The Compass is set for cage-free
Today, Compass Group, the world’s largest food service provider, announced it will switch all the eggs it uses – both liquid and shell – to cage-free for all of its global operations in 50 countries. The announcement will move millions of hens out of battery . . .
Massachusetts voters can clinch the case against farm animal confinement
It’s been more than a year since I first wrote here about a proposed farm animal protection ballot measure in Massachusetts that would prohibit the sale of eggs, pork, and veal from animals raised in extreme, inhumane confinement. Since that blog, thousands of Massachusetts residents . . .
Coach Switzer carries the ball in fight against Oklahoma ‘right to farm’
Coach Barry Switzer gets right to the point. “If SQ 777 passes, it will make it easier for puppy mills to exist. Puppy mill operators will be able to classify themselves as farmers and their animals as livestock,” wrote Switzer, the legendary coach of the . . .
Breaking news: Latin American food giant goes cage-free
The tide in our cage-free campaign has now turned in Latin America, with Alsea, a major food retail conglomerate with operations throughout Latin America and Europe, announcing this week that it will switch to 100 percent cage-free eggs. The new policy, which follows several years . . .
Oprah says ‘yes’ to Meatless Mondays
Arguably, no other animal advocate has the platform, the followers, and the influence of Oprah Winfrey. I was on her widely syndicated talk show years ago to speak on puppy mills and then again about Proposition 2 in California. But this past Sunday, it was . . .
Major newspapers report industrial confinement of hens, pigs may be doomed
Yesterday, on its front page, the Washington Post’s Karin Brulliard reported on the animal protection movement’s running the table with major American food retailers on the issue of cage confinement of hens. They are all converting to cage-free, as I’ve written about numerous times in . . .
McDonald’s and the quiet revolution in food and agriculture
Today, McDonald’s ran full-page print advertisements in major newspapers to announce that its outlets are now selling chicken free of medically important antibiotics, an important gain for public health. A number of major chicken producers responded to McDonald’s decision and have pledged to phase out . . .
