WASHINGTON — The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) claimed a victory today in the effort to combat inhumane treatment of animals on farms. George Washington University's (GWU's) school store, The District Market, agreed to eliminate the sale of eggs from caged birds effective immediately. The university currently sells approximately 200 dozen eggs a week.

Approximately 98 percent of eggs sold in the U.S. come from birds confined in barren "battery cages" so small they can't even flap their wings or engage in many other natural behaviors, such as nesting, foraging, perching, and dust bathing.

According to The HSUS's Factory Farming Campaign Manager Paul Shapiro, "Birds in battery cages suffer immensely. George Washington University has taken a bold step by phasing out the sale of eggs from caged birds, and we enthusiastically applaud their efforts to help reduce animal suffering and encourage other schools to follow suit."

The move by the university came after students circulated petitions and collected more than 1,000 signatures from students calling for the shift to more humane products.

"We're thrilled that the campus store has listened to GWU students and our concerns for animal welfare," said junior April Meyer, president of GW Animal Advocacy. "The suffering caged laying hens endure is simply too great for any humane person to support."

The HSUS advised the students and provided information on egg producers who do not use the battery cages, which are stacked on top of each other in huge factory farms. The cages provide each bird with less space than a single sheet of paper on which to live, leading to extremely high levels of stress and frustration in the hens, who are confined in the cages with as many as eight to ten other birds for months on end.

No federal or state law mandates humane treatment of laying hens. Most states' anti-cruelty statutes either explicitly exempt common farming practices, no matter how abusive, or are never applied to farm animals.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization with nearly 9 million members and constituents. The HSUS is a mainstream voice for animals, with active programs in companion animals and equine protection, wildlife and habitat protection, animals in research, and farm animals and sustainable agriculture. The HSUS protects all animals through education, investigation, litigation, legislation, advocacy, and field work. The non-profit organization is based in Washington and has field representatives across the country. On the web at www.hsus.org.