State Legislators to Consider Bill to Protect Animal Welfare and New Hampshire's Family Farming Heritage

Today, the New Hampshire House Agriculture and Environment Committee will hold a hearing on a bill that would prevent some of factory farming's worst abuses from taking root in the state. The Humane Society of the United States urges the committee to pass H.B. 1522, which ensures that farm animals merely be able to turn around and extend their limbs. Paul Shapiro, senior director of The Humane Society of the United States' factory farming campaign, will be testifying in support of the bill.

H.B. 1522 simply prohibits the confinement of farm animals in such a way that they cannot move freely. It will prevent the use of factory farming abuses such as keeping animals confined in small crates or cages—specifically, veal crates for calves, battery cages for egg-laying hens, and gestation crates for breeding pigs.

Earlier this month, Republican Representative Steve Vaillancourt (Hills, 15) introduced the bill.

"The Humane Society of the United States commends Representative Vaillancourt for working to enact laws to help discourage factory farming," comments Joanne Bourbeau, director of the New England Regional Office of The HSUS. "Confining animals in cages so small they can't turn around and extend their limbs is cruel and doesn't reflect the humane sentiments shared by most New Hampshire residents."

Facts

• Across the country, restaurants, producers, and retailers—including Burger King, Carl's Jr., Hardees, Wolfgang Puck, Ben & Jerry's, and Smithfield Foods—are moving away from crates and cages on factory farms, and switching to housing where the animals have more freedom of movement and socialization.
• Florida and Oregon have banned gestation crates, and Arizona has banned both gestation and veal crates. Californians are collecting signatures to put a measure on the 2008 ballot to ensure that farm animals are able to turn around and extend their limbs.
• New Hampshire schools such as University of New Hampshire, Dartmouth College, Plymouth State University, Phillips Exeter Academy, and New Hampton School join more than 330 others across the country in enacting policies to eliminate or greatly decrease their use of eggs from caged hens.

Timeline

• December 2007—Compass Group, the world's largest food service provider, implements a cage-free shell (whole) egg policy
• August 2007—Hardee's and Carl's Jr. begin phasing in the use of cage-free eggs.
• March 2007—Burger King begins phasing in the use of cage-free eggs.
• November 2003—The Better Business Bureau rules that it is misleading to label eggs from battery-caged hens as "Animal Care Certified."
• 2000-2002—McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's require that their meat and egg suppliers abide by very modest animal welfare standards.

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