Help Farm Animals...Follow the Three Rs |
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Each year in the United States, approximately 10 billion land animals are raised and killed for food—more than one million every hour. Just like the dogs and cats we welcome into our homes, chickens, pigs, turkeys, cows, and other farm animals have their own personalities, inquisitive natures, likes and dislikes, and—most importantly— the ability to feel pain, suffer from boredom and frustration, and experience joy.
Yet these animals are routinely mistreated on industrialized factory farms. Hundreds of millions of them are intensively confined in restrictive pens, cages, or stalls, unable to engage in even basic movements. No federal law protects animals from cruelty on the "farm," and most states exempt customary agricultural practices—no matter how abusive—from the scope of their animal cruelty statutes.
Fortunately, each one of us can make a significant difference in the lives of these animals at every meal.
Reduce
Given the sheer number of farm animals raised and killed for food, it's difficult to know where to begin to help improve their welfare. Aside from choosing less inhumane products, reducing our consumption of animal products makes a significant difference. If every American were to cut back on animal consumption by only 50 percent, approximately five billion animals each year would be spared a lifetime of suffering.
Refine
As you stroll through your grocery store or gaze at a restaurant menu, keep in mind that not all animal products are equal when it comes to animal welfare. Each industry has its own abusive practices, and some are much crueler than others. For example, the chicken, egg, turkey, and pork industries tend to be far more abusive to animals than the beef industry. Thankfully, a growing number of producers are raising animals without intensive confinement and giving more consideration to their welfare. Refining your diet by choosing organic or cage- and crate-free animal products—instead of the conventional factory farm products that fill most supermarket shelves—will help reduce animal suffering and send a clear message that the most horrific cruelties are too tough for any compassionate consumer to swallow.
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Replace
It's never been easier (or more delicious) to replace animal products with readily available vegetarian alternatives. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, "Vegetarian diets can meet all the recommendations for nutrients." The American Dietetic Association goes even further to state that vegetarian diets "provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases." And choosing a vegetarian diet will help reduce an immense amount of farm animal suffering.
Need Help Getting Started?
Visit www.HumaneEating.org to learn about The HSUS's round-the-clock efforts to help farm animals and how you can get involved. And for more information on how animals are treated on factory farms, visit www.FarmAnimalWelfare.org.
See the Video
Battery-Cage Eggs
Confinement by Crate
Foie Gras
Fast Growth
Electric Stunning
Traumatic Catching
Petition for Poultry
Related Links
The HSUS Guide to Vegetarian Eating
