Stars Speak Up for Farm Animals |
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November 6, 2007
Celebrities are using their star power to draw attention to a federal bill that would improve the lives of millions of farm animals.
Actors Noah Wyle of ER, Wendie Malick of Just Shoot Me, and Pulp Fiction favorite Eric Stoltz are among the Hollywood's A-listers who have offered their support for the Farm Animal Stewardship Purchasing Act.
Playing the Role of Compassion
This federal bill provides modest but important protections for farm animals who are used to supply the federal government with animal products.
"It's wonderful that Noah Wyle, Wendie Malick and Eric Stoltz have lent their voices in support of a bill that takes aim at some of the worst factory farm abuses," said Michael Markarian, executive vice president of The HSUS. "We thank these stars for shining the spotlight on cruelty to farm animals."
A Modest but Important Bill
Introduced by U.S. Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), FASPA requires animal producers supplying federal programs with meat, dairy and eggs to comply with moderate animal welfare standards.
The bill—H.R. 1726—outlines the most basic animal welfare principles and requires that these producers:
» Provide farm animals with enough space to engage in simple movement;
» Provide the animals with daily access to food and water without force-feeding or starvation; and
» Treat or humanely euthanize sick or injured animals.
FASPA is critically important because there are absolutely no federal laws protecting animals while on factory farms.
The bill's passage would mean that the more than $1 billion the federal government currently spends on animal products for a variety of programs and agencies (like the National School Lunch Program, the Armed Services and the Bureau of Prisons) would be used for products that come from animals who were protected from some of the worst factory farm abuses.
A Growing Trend
Asking the government to ensure better treatment for the animals in its supply chain is in step with an increasingly popular sentiment in the business community.
Many companies like Wolfgang Puck, Burger King, and Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Natural Marketplace have raised standards for suppliers in recent years.
Pig producers such as Smithfield Foods are phasing out their use of gestation crates to confine breeding pigs. And veal producers such as Strauss Veal and Marcho Farms are phasing out their use of veal crates to confine calves.
Reducing Farm Animal Suffering, Coast-to-Coast
The passage of FASPA would also echo the sentiments of Americans all over the country. In 2007, the Oregon governor signed a bill prohibiting the use of gestation crates.
Arizona voters also did away with abusive crates (both for breeding pigs and veal calves) when they passed an HSUS-led initiative in a 2006 Election Day landslide. And in 2002, Florida voters overwhelmingly approved an HSUS-led measure banning gestation crates.
California voters are currently gathering signatures to place a similar measure on the statewide ballot for November 2008.
Be a Star for Farm Animals
You don't need to be a Hollywood insider to help animals on factory farms.
Put farm animal welfare center-stage by asking your legislator to cosponsor H.R. 1726, the Farm Animal Stewardship Purchasing Act.
Related Links
Force-Fed Abuse
'No Battery Eggs' Campaign Exposes the Hard-Boiled Truth about Laying Hens
Think Outside the Crate Campaign
Humane Eating and the Three Rs
