Reject Cruel Factory Farm Confinement Methods!
- by: ASPCA
- recipient: Rep. Diane Watson (D-CA) and Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-CA)
Recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Diane Watson and Rep. Elton Gallegly, the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act (H.R. 4733) is a federal bill that would require the U.S. Government to purchase animal products only from entities that do not keep animals in gestation crates, veal crates or battery cages.
Since almost all major packers and distributors do business with the federal government, this legislation would have a significant impact and dramatically improve animals' living conditions in many farms across the nation.
In order to sell to the federal government, producers would be required to meet minimum humane standards (they would have two years from the date of the Act's enactment to do so). Their animals would have to be provided with adequate space to stand up, lie down and turn around freely without any impediments, including tethers, and without touching the sides of their enclosures.
Animals must also be able to fully extend all limbs without touching the sides of their enclosures and in the case of egg-laying hens, fully spread both wings without touching the side of an enclosure or another hen.
Please sign this petition to ask your U.S. representative to support H.R. 4733 today!
Dear [Decision Maker],
As a concerned constituent, I am writing to urge you to support and cosponsor the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act, H.R. 4733. This bill would help protect farm animals from cruelty and abuse.
The federal government currently purchases over $1 billion of meat, poultry and dairy products for various government programs such as the National School Lunch Program, for our Armed Services, federal prisons and other government services. H.R. 4733 would ensure that such procurements would be made only from farms that treat their animals humanely. Namely, it would require that the federal government purchase animals only from farms that provide adequate space for their animals to stand up, lie down and turn around freely, and fully extend all limbs.
Many farms in this country currently house their animals in cruel confinement systems. Veal calves are chained in small crates without enough room even to turn around. Sows are confined in gestation crates only a few inches wider and longer than the sows themselves. Egg-laying hens are jammed into tiny battery cages with less space, per bird, than the size of a regular 8.5" by 11" sheet of paper. These animals are confined in these cramped and tiny cages and crates for their entire lives, never seeing the light of day and often living in their own filth.
The Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act would ensure the humane treatment of livestock, minimize needless suffering, result in safer and better working conditions for persons engaged in the agricultural industry, and result in an improved product that will benefit consumers and public health. The bill is a conservative, common-sense approach, as it does not outlaw any practices--it merely prevents the government from subsidizing inhumane practices with taxpayer dollars.
Passage of this important legislation would help reform how farm animals are treated, and your support would mean a lot to me. Thank you very much for your consideration of my views.
