End Factory Farming

For approximately one month, an HSUS undercover investigator documented the suffering endured by female breeding pigs held in severely restrictive gestation crates on a factory farm operated by a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, in Waverly, Virginia. Many of the highly intelligent and inquisitive pigs develop sores and infections from crate-related injuries and from simply lying in the same position without relief. Out of sheer boredom, they engage in repetitive behaviors %u2014 such as bar biting and head swaying %u2014 sometimes injuring themselves in the process.

Please send Smithfield a loud and clear message that it needs to honor its self-imposed commitment to stop using inhumane gestation crates by 2017.

An HSUS undercover investigator recently documented the suffering endured by female breeding pigs held in severely restrictive gestation crates on a factory farm operated by a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, in Waverly, Virginia. Gestation crates are exceptionally cruel and have been banned by the European Union, New Zealand and seven U.S. states. In 2007, Smithfield said it would phase out the use of gestation crates by 2017, yet in 2009 it said it could no longer meet its self-imposed and very lenient deadline.

Many of these highly intelligent and inquisitive pigs develop pressure sores and infections from crate-related injuries and from simply lying in the same position without relief. Out of sheer boredom, they engage in repetitive behaviors %u2014 such as bar biting and head swaying %u2014 sometimes injuring themselves in the process.