Target: U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack
Goal: Implement and enforce stronger federal animal welfare laws to prevent suffering in factory farms.
Advocates have raised serious concerns about the welfare of animals in American factory farms, where close to 99% of livestock is raised in industrial-type facilities. They claim that efficiency and profitability are prioritized over the well-being of animals, leading to pain and suffering due to inhumane conditions. Animals are also confined in spaces so tight that they cannot move throughout their entire lives, which many consider a form of torture-like confinement.
Despite more than a dozen states banning certain cruel practices, there is no comprehensive federal law protecting farm animals from abuse. Additionally, corporations running factory farms are lobbying to weaken existing laws like the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, which requires animals to be knocked unconscious before slaughter. The existence of “ag-gag” laws in several states criminalizes those who seek to expose animal suffering, further obscuring the reality of these conditions from the public.
The lack of stringent federal animal welfare laws and enforcement allows these abuses to continue unchecked. To protect animals from unnecessary suffering and to uphold ethical standards, it is imperative that stronger federal regulations are implemented and enforced. Demand that the U.S. Department of Agriculture takes immediate action to improve animal welfare standards in factory farms.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Secretary Vilsack,
I am writing to express deep concern over reports of widespread animal suffering in factory farms across the United States. These industrial facilities, which account for close to 99% of livestock production, subject animals to inhumane conditions where efficiency and profitability are prioritized over their well-being. Instances such as animals being confined so tightly that they cannot move throughout their entire lives are particularly troubling.
Furthermore, the corporations running these factory farms are lobbying to weaken existing laws like the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, potentially increasing the suffering of animals. The presence of “ag-gag” laws in several states, which criminalize efforts to expose animal cruelty, only exacerbates the issue by preventing transparency and accountability.
I urge you to take immediate action to implement and enforce stronger federal animal welfare laws that protect farm animals from such suffering. By improving regulations and ensuring they are strictly enforced, we can uphold ethical standards and prevent unnecessary pain and distress to millions of animals.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Alex Agrico
