I will never forget walking into a large pork producing farm during my swine rotation in veterinary school. I saw pregnant sows in small crates, the crates were so small that the pigs couldn’t even turn around. They could only move a few inches forwards and backwards. Growing up in Minnesota farm country, I was used to seeing pigs in large pens with access to the outdoors. When I expressed my horror at these conditions, the farm staff was unmoved.
This week, McDonalds announced it will phase out pork from suppliers who use gestation crates. Thank you McDonalds! Large corporations like McDonalds can make a huge difference in the humane treatment of animals. I would also like to thank Wendy’s, Sonic, Harris Teeter, Quiznos, Whole Foods Market, Chipotle and Safeway who have been praised by the Humane Society of the United States for their collective decisions to avoid suppliers who abuse animals. I would also like to thank the Humane Society of the United States for your tireless work on behalf of animals. Keep up the great work!
More information is available at:
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/02/15/mcdonalds-works-to-take-animal-cruelty-off-the-menu/
http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2012/02/mcdonalds_takes_action_02132012.html