WASHINGTON-Several United States Postal Service employees have reported to The Humane Society of the United States information indicating thousands of baby birds are dying in the mail, many of them while being transported for the purpose of Easter gifts. Citing humane concerns, the national animal protection group is appealing to those celebrating Easter to not buy baby chicks as gifts.
Every year millions of baby birds are mailed nationwide for such purposes as pets and backyard poultry. Many of the baby birds are chicks hatched in early April and mailed to be sold in feed, pet and hardware stores nationwide as Easter gifts.
"This year millions of day-old birds will be packed in boxes and mailed across the country with little more consideration for the animals' welfare than any other parcel of mail," said Ann Chynoweth, director of The Humane Society of the United States animal cruelty and fighting campaign.
"Without provisions for food, water or temperature control, thousands of baby birds die in transport and this needless loss of life is simply considered the cost of doing business by the bird shipping industry," Chynoweth said. "We appeal to those celebrating Easter not to support this cruel business and to choose gifts other than live animals."
Last year, The HSUS received a video from a postal worker in California of dead and dying birds received in the mail. To watch a portion of the video, which was taken in early 2005 go to http://www.hsus.org/babychicksvideo.
As recently as this month, The HSUS has received reports from postal workers nationwide who have witnessed birds dying in the mail. Excerpts from recent reports:
"I have been working for the U.S. Postal Service for more than 20 years...During this time I have regularly seen adult birds and boxes of baby chicks come through the mail stream...Often many or all of them are dead by the time I have handled the boxes...Some of the boxes hold up to 25 chicks and some hold up to 100 chicks. They are crammed into these boxes and the live ones are climbing over the dead and dying ones and cheeping when we get them..."
California April 1, 2006
"Three years ago we received a shipment of dieing newborn ducks on our dock at this postal facility in Northern Minnesota. They were missent to our facility and continued to stink and die on our dock awaiting there shipment back...Since that time, there have been numerous times that these birds have come through our docks dead or dying...On March 14 th (2006) a box of twenty four chicks arrived on the dock headed for Black Duck. It was 3 degrees above 0 and all of them were dead."
Minnesota April 9, 2006
"The HSUS is grateful that these brave postal workers have come forward to tell the story of the baby birds who would have otherwise died without notice," said Chynoweth. "Hopefully their willingness to speak on the animals behalf, and tell their own stories of frustration with being unable to help the baby birds survive, will convince others to not support this cruel industry."
Video, photos and interviews with U.S. Postal Service employees are available upon request.
Media Contact: Karen L. Allanach (301) 548-7778, kallanach@hsus.org
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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization with more than 9.5 million members and constituents. The HSUS is a mainstream voice for animals, with active programs in companion animals, disaster preparedness and response, wildlife and habitat protection, marine mammals, animals in research, equine protection, and farm animal welfare. The HSUS protects all animals through education, investigation, litigation, legislation, advocacy and field work. The nonprofit organization is based in Washington and has field representatives and offices across the country. On the web at www.hsus.org.
