Fall/Winter `10 issue

Compassionate Living
CL
- FREE -
Go ahead, take it.
THE MAG OF MFA. FALL - WINTER 2010 Issue 5
Breeding
Inside the Pork Industry
the Inner World
Exclusive Interview with
Amy Hatkoff
In Defense of the Miraculous Bean
Compassionate Cook
Meatless Morsels
CHOOSEVEG.COM
FALL-WINTER 2010
MercyForAnimals.org
1
When MFA pointed out the obvious fact that
pigs suffer pain the same as dogs, and deserve the
same consideration and protection, Pork magazine
defended factory farming stating, “(A) pig is not
treated like a house pet because their needs are
vastly different.”
While I fully agree that the pork industry treats
pigs differently than pets – producers could be
jailed if they abused Fido like they do pigs – pigs’
needs are not “vastly different.” All animals long
for freedom. All species wish to avoid suffering –
including mutilations, confinement and a lack of
control over their lives. Implying that pigs vary so
greatly from dogs that they hold no such needs
shows just how disconnected the industry is from
the true desires of the animals they exploit and kill.
Dear Friends,
This issue of CL gives you a rare glimpse behind
the secretive world of pork and egg production
– blowing the lid off some of the industries’
cruelest practices. MFA’s undercover investigators
reveal, once again, that animal mistreatment is
commonplace in meat, dairy and egg production.
With the overwhelming evidence of such rampant
abuse, nothing confuses me more than when I hear
factory farm spokespeople, who confine animals in
cages where they can’t even turn around, say that
“no one cares more about our animals than we
do.” In fact, the manager of an egg facility, where
MFA documented live hens in trash cans, birds
suffering from untreated infections and animals
covered in feces, publicly claimed, “I treat my
chickens better than my children.”
Another line seemingly pulled from the animal
abuser handbook is, “Of course we treat our
animals well; otherwise, they wouldn’t produce.”
So what do they consider “proper care"? Based
on standard and accepted factory farm practices,
throwing live animals into grinding machines,
cutting off parts of their bodies without painkillers
and condemning animals to lives in stalls and
crates where they can barely move, are all
considered “proper care.”
The reality is that what the majority of meat, dairy
and egg producers consider “proper animal care”
is terribly out of touch with common sense, basic
decency and the values of most Americans. These
industries see cows, pigs and chickens as units,
“genetic products,” mere profits and losses, and
preprocessed goods, not the unique individuals
they are with complex feelings and interests. Tyson,
Perdue and Smithfield claim to follow standards
of care developed from “sound science,” rather
than emotion. No Ph.D. or degree in animal
behavior is required to know that animals with
legs should be able to walk, run and play. It doesn’t
take an expert to see that modern factory farms
cause incredible suffering.
A more honest position for meat producers to
take would be to bluntly state that they are simply
responding to a demand for cheap animal products
- leaving the animals to pay the ultimate price in
a life of misery. Then, hopefully more consumers
would wake up to the power, and consequences,
of their food choices. Each of us holds the power
in driving the market, calling the shots in the
almighty game of supply and demand. As more
compassionate consumers put their ethics on the
dinner table, rejecting blatant animal abuse by
leaving meat off their plates, we can finally move
toward a future where all animals are truly granted
the “proper care” they so rightly deserve.
For a kinder tomorrow,
Nathan Runkle
Executive Director
2 Compassionate Living Mercyforanimals.org
CL
Compassionate Living
dear friends
Contributors
Alicia Boemi
Lydia Chaudhry
Derek Coons
Suzanne Fulton
Daniel Hauff
Amy Mackenzie
Brooke Mays
Heather Patrick
Nathan Runkle
Anya Todd
Mercy For Animals (MFA) is
a 501(c)(3) non-profit animal
advocacy organization that
believes non-human animals are
irreplaceable individuals who
have morally significant interests
and hence rights, including the
right to live free of unnecessary
suffering. MFA is dedicated to
establishing and defending the
rights of all animals.
Given that over 97% of animal
cruelty occurs in the production
of meat, dairy, and eggs, MFA’s
main function is promoting a
vegetarian diet. MFA works
to be a voice for animals
through public education and
advertisement campaigns,
research and investigations,
working with news media, and
grassroots activism.
MFA relies on the generous
support of compassionate
individuals to carry on our
life-saving work. To become
a member, simply send a
contribution of $15 to:
Mercy For Animals
3712 N. Broadway, Ste. 560
Chicago, IL 60613
1-866-632-6446
Info@MercyForAnimals.org
newswatch
The Future of Food
It sounds like something from a Sci-Fi movie: In vitro,
or “cultured” meat, is created by growing isolated cells
in a laboratory dish – rather than slaughtering feeling,
sentient beings. “Laboratory meat” potentially offers
a humane alternative to the growing global demand for
animal protein. According to a recent CNN report, in addition to reducing
suffering, proponents of in vitro meat claim that it would
offer several advantages for human health and the
environment. Nutritional content (fat and protein) can be
customized and controlled, and the laboratory production
means it’s protected from the bacteria and diseases
rampant in factory farming.The green advantages are
enormous as well; unlike conventionally produced
meat from live animals, in vitro products do not leave
a gigantic environmental footprint, as they avoid the
inefficient use of resources – such as land, water and
fossil fuels – for production.
Organizations such as New Harvest, a non-profit dedicated
to researching the production of in vitro meat, are
currently developing new methods of production to
eventually bring an affordable product to market.
Eat Green, Get Lean, Live Long
Experts are finding that vegetarian diets beat out meat-heavy
ones for providing life-long health and fitness benefits. The
American Dietetic Association’s 2009 position paper concluded
that vegetarian and vegan diets are not only appropriate for all
stages of life but are also associated with lower weight, lower
blood pressure, and reduced risk of heart disease. What’s more,
the ADA and The British Journal For Cancer also identified plantbased diets with decreased risks of many cancers, including
prostate, colorectal and blood cancers.
As if that weren’t enough reason to go veg, the longevity linked
with the so-called “Mediterranean Diet” is now being credited
more specifically to plant foods. A recent report from a professor
at the Harvard School of Public Health concluded that higher
consumption of certain food groups – namely vegetables, fruits,
Three Steps Forward...
In May, Maine’s Governor John Baldacci signed legislation prohibiting veal crates
and gestation crates, effective 2011. Maine is now the sixth state to implement
a ban on these needlessly cruel confinement systems, which prohibit baby calves
and pregnant sows from turning around, lying down comfortably, or engaging in
basic natural behaviors.
nuts, olive oil, and legumes – is largely responsible for the health
benefits of this regional cuisine.
The suffering of farmed animals is becoming less acceptable in other states as
well: four pork farm workers at an Iowa factory farm pleaded guilty to multiple
counts of abusing pigs; their admission of guilt came on the heels of earlier
convictions of an another worker at the same facility. Two West Virginia turkey farm
workers were also found guilty of cruelty for stomping birds and slamming them
to the ground, marking the first time in U.S. history that turkey farm employees
have been convicted of cruelty to animals.
And One Step Back
Only two years ago, Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork producer, announced
it would phase out gestation crates over the period of a decade. In a stunning reversal,
Smithfield recently claimed that “operating losses” will prevent the company from
enacting even this minimal move towards reduced cruelty, effectively condemning
millions of pigs to unimaginable misery for the foreseeable future.
It’s Official: Meat Is Not Green
Recent articles in The Washington Post and Time Magazine
have confirmed that there’s a high environmental price
for our cheap, meat-heavy diets. The world’s relentless
demand for ever-increasing supplies of meat has created
more global warming than all forms of transportation
combined. This is largely due to the enormous volume
of fossil fuels burned in the operation of industrial factory
farms and transport of animals and meat, as well as
methane gas emissions from the animals themselves.
Animal farming has also created an unsustainable
demand on natural resources like water and land, due
to the vast amounts of soy and corn grown to feed
livestock rather than people. The simple answer,
according to both of these publications, is to embrace
vegetarian meals and foods more frequently.
Meat isn’t the only culprit; the dairy industry is also
creating its own environmental problems. A New York
Times front-page piece on the link between Wisconsin
dairy farm manure run-off and tainted drinking water
reported that the Environmental Protection Agency
considers agriculturalrun-off to be the single largest
source of water pollution in the nation’s rivers and
streams.
CHOOSEVEG.COM
FALL-WINTER 2010
3
meetmfa
Merciful
Mission
Activist Spotlight: Kayla Worden
Position with MFA: North Carolina Campaign Coordinator
Hometown: Asheville,NC
Email: KaylaW@MercyForAnimals.org
Favorite Quote: “To a man whose mind is free, there is
something even more intolerable in the sufferings of animals
than in the sufferings of man. For with the latter it is at least
admitted that suffering is evil and that the man who causes it
is a criminal.” -Romain Rolland, author, Nobel Prize 1915
CL: How is animal activism different in North Carolina,
given that it is a leading meat producer?
KW: Certainly here in NC we are faced with the daunting “Davidvs.-Goliath” task of going up against deeply entrenched animal
agriculture industries, with all of their dark, hidden underbellies.
The vast majority of North Carolinians have had the hideous truth of
rampant, widespread and extreme abuse of farmed animals hidden
from their view for the most part. Others blindly accept it under
Kayla Worden lives in her mountain home with her rescued, vegan
dogs, Lindsay and Jasper, and several rescued cats. She currently
operates Serenity Hill Animal Sanctuary and as Mercy For Animals’
Asheville, North Carolina Campaign Coordinator, she organizes local
events and campaigns and coordinates volunteers. Kayla believes
that it is important to “bloom where you are planted” and she has
done just that, as she has called the tranquil hills of Asheville
home for more than 20 years.
CL: What was your initial reason for becoming vegetarian and
what motivated you to become involved in animal activism?
KW: I grew up on a small farm in rural Pennsylvania in a typical
meat-eating family. At about age 12 I began to realize that the same
animals who I loved and formed friendships with in the barnyard
were the same animals who ended up on our family’s dinner table
and I decided to become a vegetarian. Years later in 1989, I received
a mailing from an animal protection organization, describing the
horrendous suffering animals endure in order to become food for
human consumption. Becoming a part of the solution rather than
continuing on as a part of the problem took shape in my awareness.
At that moment, I felt the “floodgates” open and from then on I
embraced the vegan lifestyle.
CL: What prompted you to take on the role of MFA’s
North Carolina Campaign Coordinator?
KW: Over the years I have volunteered and worked both locally
and internationally on animal rights issues with various organizations.
Nathan Runkle and I had come to know one another several years
ago, even traveling together to carry out various animal rights
campaigns. I believed that MFA would be a good fit for me here
in western North Carolina, where its message of compassion needs
to be heard loud and clear.
4 Compassionate Living Mercyforanimals.org
the guise of supposed “tradition” and “cultural norm.” It is so very
important for the animal rights movement to take root in areas where
the message really needs to be heard here and now, appealing to
people’s common decency and consciences, as well as to their personal
health and environmental concerns. We certainly don’t want to be
simply preaching to the choir. We’ve got a lot of work to do in North
Carolina, no doubt.
CL: How have you kept inspired, motivated and focused
over the years?
KW: I have had the fortune to remain surrounded by the most
incredible and loving animal companions – whether they have been
cows, chickens, dogs, cats, pigs, goats or otherwise. Also, I have
had the pleasure of rehabilitating many creatures of the wild. All of
these precious beings – in fact, all of the beauty I see in the innocent
faces of animals everywhere – are the faces that continue to inspire
me forward. I would also encourage anyone wanting to get involved
to attend MFA or other animal rights events in their area or make
the trip to a conference to meet others of like-mind. CL: What are your favorite vegan and/or animal rights
resources?
KW: I adore VegNews Magazine, as it is a hip resource for the vegan
activist! Right now I am enjoying the moving, insightful book, The Pig
Who Sang to the Moon: The Emotional World of Farm Animals, by
Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson.
CL:What advice can you give to people who want to become
involved in animal rights or MFA?
KW: Take the plunge! Volunteer your time and get involved. It’ll
make a huge positive impact in your life and ALL the difference in
the lives of countless animals.
actionreport
A Recipe for Effective Activism
As the saying goes, “The way to the heart is through the stomach.” MFA has cooked up an
effective recipe for change with vegan “Feed-Ins” – events offering free samples of easy,
delicious and cruelty-free alternatives to meat, dairy, and eggs that are available in grocery
stores nationwide.
In 2009 MFA advocates held dozens of feed-ins in locations as diverse as Chicago’s famous
Wrigley Field, Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago, in front of KFC, and at local animal shelter
marathons. Free samples of appetizing vegan versions of common favorites demonstrate that
there’s no need to sacrifice taste or satisfaction when adopting a vegan diet. Hundreds of copies
of literature, such as MFA's Vegetarian Starter Kit, are handed out to people who are inspired to
make the switch to a vegan lifestyle. Feed-ins are fun and effective outreach activities that
promote compassionate eating through a positive, friendly approach.
MercyForAnimals.org/Feed-Ins.aspx
Driving Home Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism is reaching new heights in Denver, Colorado, with the launch of 20 new Mercy
For Animals billboards. Spread across the greater Denver area along bustling highway routes,
on college campuses, and nestled on busy street corners, the pro-vegetarian billboards are
giving millions of local residents some serious food for thought. The ambitious campaign
features three designs. The first ad spotlights an adorable puppy and a loveable piglet
sitting side-by-side and asks, “Why love one but eat the other?”
The other two billboards give commuters an eye-opening look inside factory farms and dare
to ask, “How much cruelty can you swallow?” These ads bring consumers face-to-face with
the animals abused and slaughtered for meat, dairy and eggs. Guaranteed to provoke
thought and discussion, they feature images of egg-laying hens crowded inside a battery
cage, and another of a sow locked in a tiny gestation crate.
Similar ad campaigns also hit the subway and bus lines in Toronto and New York City this
summer – amassing over 14 million views in the Big Apple and reaching nearly half a million
Canadian commuters each day.
MercyForAnimals.org/Advertisements.aspx
VegWeb
Biting Into the Big Apple
From mega metropolises to conservative rural America, it’s no
secret that vegetarianism has plunged into the mainstream, with
an ever-growing number of consumers opting for healthy and crueltyfree fare. And now with the launch of VegIndiana.com, MFA is stepping
into the Corn Belt to offer a helping hand to people seeking vegetarian
meals. Complete with hundreds of listings of vegetarian-friendly
restaurants and health food stores, the site features establishment
locations, sample menus, pricing details and business hours.
Here we grow again! Mercy For Animals is expanding its vital grassroots
campaigns on behalf of farmed animals to the largest metropolis in the
nation - New York City!
Being a vegan jet-setter also just got easier thanks to the kick-off
of VegGuide.org. A joint project between MFA and Compassionate
Action for Animals, this must-cruise powerhouse of a resource is
filled with thousands of listings and reviews of veggie restaurants
around the globe. Furthermore, MFA has leaped into the blogosphere
with the launch of MFABlog.org. This cyber center allows you to stay
up-to-date on the latest MFA news, event reviews, campaign roundups,
commentary and other timely, not-to-be-missed animal rights and
vegetarian news.
Our recently opened New York Advocacy Center in Manhattan serves
as an east coast center for grassroots activism, humane education, vegan
campaigns and media outreach. MFA’s NYC Campaign Coordinator,
Matt Rice – a seasoned animal advocate with extensive experience
in grassroots activism – is rolling up his sleeves and working with
local activists and supporters to bring MFA’s groundbreaking
campaigns to the Big Apple.
The new Advocacy Center, which opened its doors in August,
serves as a resource center, a networking hotspot for local activists,
and a place to pick up information and literature on animal protection
issues. Log on to MercyForAnimals.org for NYC volunteer and
internship information.
MercyForAnimals.org/NYCOffice
CHOOSEVEG.COM
FALL-WINTER 2010
5
vegan health
AskAnya
Anya Todd is a vegan registered and
licensed dietitian who graduated from
Case Western reserve University and
completed her internship at the
Cleveland Clinic foundation. She simply
does not understand why people cringe
when she eats plain tofu straight
from the carton.
Q:
What is the deal
with soy ­– is it safe
to eat or not?
Is it really good for us?
Does it cause cancer?
Will it make men grow breasts?
How much is safe to eat?
The issue of soy and its effect on our health is much debated.
These questions always arise when I give vegan nutrition lectures.
With all of the misinformation about soy being dispersed out
there (mostly by industries opposed to a plant-based diet), it is
no wonder that there is mass confusion about this precious bean.
Soy foods, like tofu and soy milk, are staples in many vegans’
pantries because they are plentiful in protein and other nutrients,
like B vitamins. They are free of artery-clogging saturated fat
and cholesterol. What many soy myths focus upon is the
“phytoestrogens” found in soybeans, called isoflavones, and
how these compounds can cause breast cancer. There are
people who claim that the isoflavones will act as the female sex
hormone, estrogen, would in the body and hence, potentially
increase the risk of cancers (especially breast), as well as reduce
testosterone levels in men.
Science, based on well-planned research studies, has yet to uphold
any of these claims. Often the studies quoted by those opposed to
soy have been conducted on animals in labs who are injected with
amounts of isoflavones that far exceed normal human consumption.
To apply such a study’s findings to humans would be pretty poor
science. Thankfully, there are researchers who understand that
6 Compassionate Living Mercyforanimals.org
studying real-life humans is a more informative option. The latest
research recently followed women in Asia and showed that
pre-menopausal soy consumption has a protective effect in regard
to breast cancer. At this time, there is no reason to believe soy
causes cancer. As far as men and soy consumption goes, there
are over 30 studies which conclude that one’s manliness will not be
affected. The few studies that may be cited by the naysayers are
again poorly designed. Just from observation, I know a fair share
of vegan, soy-consuming men who are leading satisfying love lives,
reproducing without issue and have yet to sprout man boobs.
I am baffled by the amount of soy
backlash when the recommended
alternative is cow's milk, which is
loaded with hormones and growth
factors, and designed to increase a
calf’s size nearly tenfold in a year.
Bottom line, soy, like any other foods, should be consumed in
moderation and ideally be as unprocessed as possible. 2 -3
servings a day is a safe recommendation. A serving counts as 1 cup
of soy milk or a ½ cup of tofu, tempeh or soybeans. That means the
grande pumpkin spice soy latte I had earlier was my soy source
for the day, and it was worth every sip. Remember, soy is not
your only plant-based protein option. Legumes, seitan, seeds (like
quinoa & hemp) and nuts are excellent protein sources that can be
included in any well-balanced diet. So, enjoy that tofu scrambler
and don’t let the soy fear mongers get you down.
veganflavor
Recipes from
The Vegan Table
Peanut Butter
and Jelly Cookies
Ingredients:
No - Queso
Quesadillas
Ingredients:
hummus
8 10-inch flour or corn tortillas
½ to 1 cup salsa
½ cup chopped green onions
Spread a tortilla with 3 tablespoons of hummus and place in a large
nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Sprinkle with green onions and spread on a thin layer of salsa.
Top with second tortilla, and cook until the bottom tortilla is warm
and turning golden brown – about 3 to 5 minutes. Turn over and cook
until the second tortilla is warm and turning golden brown.
Remove from pan, and serve hot. Cut it in half or into triangles to
serve as finger food.
Repeat with remaining tortillas.
3 cup Earth Balance “Buttery” Spread or Fleishmann's Light
Lactose Free Margarine
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
½ cup peanut butter, creamy or chunky
2 tablespoons nondairy milk (soy, rice, or almond milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups all-purpose or whole-wheat pastry flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
extra nondairy milk, if necessary
strawberry jam or jelly
1
Preheat oven to 375º.
Line a cookie sheet with
parchment paper.
In a large bowl, beat
the Earth Balance,
brown sugar, peanut
butter, vanilla and nondairy milk until creamy.
In a smaller bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Add the
dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix thoroughly. Test batter
to make sure you can roll it into balls. Add a small amount of nondairy
milk if needed.
Roll batter into 1- inch balls, and place 2 inches apart on the cookie
sheet. Use your thumb to make a well in the center of each cookie,
flattening each ball as you go but keeping it intact. (Hold the dough
ball with one hand while you press into the center.)
Fill the well in each cookie with the jam. Bake for 10-11 minutes.
Featured Product
A new player is scoring big points in the mock meats arena. The company is Gardein
-- a combination of the words "garden" and "protein." Gardein uses a unique blend of
wholesome vegetables and grains in its products, including soy, wheat, peas, beets and
carrots. Going meatless has never been more satisfying, as Gardein garden protein is
savory, nutritious, and completely vegan.
Gardein products entice every palate with an array of mock meats in fresh flavors, including
BBQ Skewers, Tuscan Breasts, Herb Dijon Breasts, Sante Fe-style Chick’n Good Stuffs, and
more. Ready to heat-and-eat products are available in the refrigerator section of your grocery
store. You can grill them, bake them, or pop them in the microwave for delicious, convenient
meals that have a heart.
It’s All Good, the makers of Gardein products, use no trans fat, cholesterol or artificial
anything, so you can savor the flavors guilt-free. And It’s All Good for the animals, too!
For more infomation visit Gardein.com
CHOOSEVEG.COM
FALL-WINTER 2010
7
cover story
8
Compassionate Living Mercyforanimals.org
cover story
DAY
52
I saw firsthand how clever and empathic pigs can
be. A sow and her entire litter had escaped their crate and
gathered in the hallway. I examined how they’d escaped and
discovered that the sow had loosened steel pegs in two different
places. I told a co-worker this story and she said that when a
sow figures out how to unlock her crate, she often goes around
unlocking all of the other crates as well.
Pigs crated...beaten...mutilated...neglected...and killed by toxic
gas or massive head trauma – these are just a handful of the
nightmarish findings of a recent Mercy For Animals investigation
of Country View Family Farms, a factory pig breeding facility
in Fannettsburg, Pennsylvania.
Country View confines over 7,000 pigs and is owned by Hatfield
Quality Meats. Pigs bred at this cruel facility are slaughtered and
sold as meat under the Hatfield Quality Meats label by major grocers
such as Walmart, Stop & Shop, Shaw’s, Sam’s Club and Costco.
During the spring of 2009, an MFA undercover investigator,
“Mike,” worked as a barn technician at Country View. Equipped
with a pinhole-sized camera that he wore on his body, he captured
on film a rare glimpse into the gruesome and secretive world of
industrial pork production.
The conditions documented are standard
within the pork industry.
Life SENTENCE - NO Parole
At this factory farm, approximately 1,500 stalls run side-by-side and
face-to-face, farther than the eye can see. These “gestation” stalls
are approximately two-feet wide and barely longer than the sows
themselves, allowing them no movement except a step forward
or backward. Caught in a constant cycle of impregnation and reimpregnation, breeding sows spend almost their entire lives locked
in these barren metal enclosures.
Many sows have deep sores on their shoulders, noses and heads from
constant rubbing against the bars of their stalls. The stall floors consist
of slatted concrete, designed to allow manure to fall through; however,
much of the manure sits stagnant, smearing on the sows’ undersides.
Sows are unable to lie down in their stalls, other than on their sides
with their feet, legs, bellies and tails often protruding through the
bars. Many display neurotic behavior, such as biting the bars or banging
their heads against them. Gestation crates are so cruel that the entire
European Union and seven U.S. states have banned their use.
Pregnant sows are confined in narrow “gestation crates”
for months on end.
CHOOSEVEG.COM
FALL-WINTER 2010
9
cover story
MERCILESS MUTILATIONS
Workers castrate and tail dock between 100 and 500 piglets each
day. Castration is to prevent testicular hormones from “tainting” the
flavor of the pigs’ flesh, and tail docking is to prevent pigs from
gnawing on each other’s tails, a behavior that often arises from the
stress of extreme overcrowding.
Workers grab a piglet out of his crate by a leg, hold him upside down,
slice open his scrotal sacks with a knife, and tear out the testes and
connective tissue with their bare hands. They then clip the piglets’
tails at the base with a dull pair of scissors. No anesthesia is
administered for either procedure. The piglets screech, heave and
violently struggle – their eyes bulging, mouths gaping and legs
jutting out to brace against the pain.
Often during castration, a piglet’s intestines will fall out of the scrotal
incision. These piglets, termed “ruptured,” are dropped into a gas
cart to be put to death later, once enough piglets have accumulated
in the cart to economically justify expending the gas.
Veterinarians and animal scientists harshly condemn such knifecastration and tail docking. Dr. Nedim C. Buyukmihci, Emeritus
Professor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California,
Davis states, “The pain of castration is intense regardless of the age
age at which it is done…Regardless of any arguments to the contrary,
to castrate or cut off tails without the use of anesthetic is cruel…”
Dr. Buyukmihci continues, “Tail docking
is completely unnecessary and the piglets
at this facility had to endure the pain of
this procedure and its long-term effects
for no defensible reason.”
Marks of cruelty
Sows are “tattooed” and ear-tagged with individual ID numbers.
Workers tattoo the sows by taking a mallet with ¾-inch spikes on the
end, dipping the end in ink and then driving the spikes into the sows’
flesh, once above each leg. The first blow sends the sows squalling
and fleeing their assailants. Workers then stalk the sows in the pens,
as they crowd into corners, looking for the next opportunity to pound
them with the mallet.
Ear tagging is also performed without anesthesia, using a clamp
that forces a metal spike through the pigs’ ears. The pigs’ extended
shrieking and head-shaking attest to the severe pain it causes.
”
Top: Piglet suffering from scrotal rupture due to botched
castration. Other piglets huddle in the background awaiting
death in the gassing cart. Bottom: Bloody wounds cover the
back of this young piglet.
10 Compassionate Living Mercyforanimals.org
cover story
mothers in misery
Twice a year sows experience minutes of mobility as they make the
journey from their gestation stalls to “farrowing” stalls, where they
spend one month birthing and nursing their young. Because the
sows so rarely get a chance to walk, when they realize that they are
about to enter another small stall, many resist, bucking and squealing
and trying to push past the workers. Workers force them forward by
yanking their ears and kicking their hindquarters or back them into
the stalls by kicking them in the face.
Playful animals that they are, piglets like to wrestle and chase one
another. In the minimal space of the stalls, such innocent play can
turn deadly, as they often run under their standing mothers and are
crushed to death under her or between her and the sides of the stalls
when she sits down. One piglet had been flattened from his lower
ribs back. In a natural setting, where sows have the freedom to move
more than just up or down, they tread carefully, so as not to harm
their precious young.
Piglets and their mothers also frequently become lodged between
or pinned under the bars of the stalls. Mike discovered one sow who
had gotten her head stuck between the floor and the bottom bar
of her stall, and in the ensuing struggle to free herself, appeared
to have twisted her neck. A co-worker concurred that she likely had
snapped her neck, and noted that this was not the first time this
had happened.
PIG INTELLIGENCE
In the British documentary, “Look Who Is Talking Babe,” animal
psychologist, Dr. Stanley Curtis, declared the pig to be “the
smartest animal on earth after man.”
Dr. Curtis bases his conclusion on numerous fascinating studies.
One of Curtis’ studies found that pigs could use their snouts to
maneuver joysticks, learning to move cursors in order to hit targets
on the screen. Not only can they learn to use joysticks, in a recent
University of Cambridge study, pigs figured out how mirrors worked,
and were able to locate hidden bowls of food based on the positions
of the bowls’ reflections in the mirrors.
In his book, Farm Sanctuary, Farm Sanctuary co-founder Gene Baur
tells the stories of Truffles, Rudy and Terrin – a trio of piglets spared
from slaughter when they tumbled out of crowded transport trucks
on their way to “finishing” farms. Since they were rescued and
brought to sanctuary, he says that the pigs’ unique (and mischievous)
personalities have blossomed. Rudy and Truffles have learned to
untie shoelaces – to the great amusement of sanctuary visitors –
and all three playful pigs have learned to bop each other with
inflatable balls by holding the balls’ handles in their mouths.
Pigs also have a documented ability to find their way home across
long distances, as well as a sophisticated communication system,
consisting of over 20 distinct grunts. They quickly learn their
individual names and to respond when called – and have even been
known to outwit computerized feeding systems in order to treat
themselves to multiple meals!
A mother sow confined in a "farrowing crate"–
measuring less than 2 feet wide.
CHOOSEVEG.COM FALL-WINTER 11
A worker spray painted the word “lame” on the back
of this injured sow.
MALICIOUS MISHANDLING
Handling of pigs is rough and often appears malicious. Workers
“wean” piglets by grabbing them from their mothers by an ear, a
leg, or sometimes with a “grabber” – a long pole with two grasping
metal jaws on the end. One worker flips a piglet off the end of the
grabber into the air. The piglet repeatedly somersaults, screeching
wildly, before the worker catches him in the palm of one hand and
tosses him into a bin teeming with other panicked piglets.
Workers callously throw piglets, passing them to one another
like footballs, over distances of several feet. At times, one worker
holds the piglets as high in the air as he can and lets them drop,
or forcefully slams them into the bins of piglets, as though spiking
after a touchdown. Once he tried spinning a piglet in midair towards
the bin. The piglet hit his back on the edge of the bin and fell
to the floor.
After reviewing the undercover footage of workers mishandling
pigs, Dr. Debra Teachout, a practicing veterinarian with an advanced
degree in veterinary clinical pathology, emphatically asserted, “This
entire operation deserves to be shut down.”
According to Dr. Geoff Ball, a licensed
veterinarian, whose training has included
pig farming, pigs have long-term memories
greater than three years. Dr. Ball says of
the manner of handling at Country View,
"These animals are constantly berated by
stressors. From gestation crates where
they cannot even move…to farrowing pens
where their piglets are grabbed from them
screaming, to pens where the tattooing
takes place, there is no break from affliction.
For animals that remember each occurrence
and can anticipate the next, the level of
psychological stress has to be immeasurable."
DAY 43
Using a “captive bolt pistol,” a worker fired a rod into
the sow’s head once, but she didn’t die. She stood looking stunned,
as blood trickled down her forehead. She then got her bearings and
turned and tried to run. After a struggle – kicking her and yanking
her ears – the worker got in another shot, which sent her down.
She spasmed for about 15 minutes in a pool of her own blood.
Afterward, our supervisor told me she was dubbing my co-worker
“Two-Shot” because he rarely killed sows with one bolt.
12 Compassionate Living Mercyforanimals.org
MFA’s investigator never witnessed a veterinarian treat any
injured animals. These piglets, their faces nearly torn off,
were killed in the gassing cart.
MEDICAL NEGLECT
TRAIL OF TERROR
Typical of factory farms, the animals at Country View often suffered
from advanced injuries and illnesses. No matter how severe the
affliction, however, Mike never observed veterinary care provided
to any animal.
Piglets are weaned from their mothers at about five weeks of age
and most are sent to a “finishing” shed to be raised for meat. Shaking
and striking the piglets with rattling jugs, workers scare them out of
their stalls, occasionally smacking uncooperative piglets hard enough
to send them flying out.
He documented numerous sows with prolapsed rectums – a painful
condition in which the rectum herniates outside the body – including
one case that festered for at least 13 days, decaying, turning black
and emanating a putrid odor.
Mike repeatedly reported such cases to
management, but as a worker said of one
sow, “We don’t treat that. We’ll let her
wean her babies, if she makes it that long.
Then she’s probably a goner.”
They stampede the piglets, hundreds at a time, down a narrow hall
and onto a ramp leading into a transport truck. The terrified piglets
try to force their way through the throng and climb over one another,
in a frantic effort to escape the raucous rattling and “herding boards,”
which workers thrust in front of them whenever they attempt to move
anywhere but forward.
Dr. Temple Grandin, associate professor of livestock behavior at
Colorado State University and animal welfare advisor to the U.S.
Department of Agriculture and the meat industry, describes Country
View’s failure to treat the sow’s prolapse as “abusive animal neglect.”
There were also several injured sows, including one who appeared
to have a broken back, and another with a lame leg who was unable
to lift herself up to eat. At first she flopped around, but soon just
resigned herself to screaming.
This sow, afflicted with a painful prolapse, was left to
suffer for at least 13 days.
CHOOSEVEG.COM
FALL-WINTER 2010 13
cover story
Underweight or sick piglets were thrown into a bin and
gassed with CO2.
"SQUEALING BLOODy MURDER"
Sows who are too sick, injured or old to profitably maintain are put
to death using a captive bolt pistol, which shoots a thick metal
rod through the sow’s skull. Captive bolt killing is purported to be
quicker and less cruel than other killing methods, but Mike frequently
noted this not to be the case.
Once a worker returned from bolting a sow, looking exhausted. She
told Mike that the sow could not use her back legs, but still managed
to give the worker trouble. She persisted in dragging herself in the
“wrong” direction, “squealing bloody murder,” as the worker tried
to lead her outdoors to kill her. She said that she was shouting and
shoving the sow, and finally just said, “Goodbye, pig” and bolted her
in the middle of the feed aisle.
Another worker remarked that on one occasion a sow had taken four
bolts before she died, and on another a sow had died after one bolt,
but staggered around vomiting for a long time before she died.
"It's incredibly Cruel"
Sick, injured and runt piglets are put to death in a CO2 gas cart.
Mike’s supervisor told him that death is supposed to occur within five
minutes, but that it usually takes 10 or more. “It’s incredibly cruel,”
she told him, “but it’s how we’re told to do it.”
14 Compassionate Living Mercyforanimals.org
Mike frequently discovered that piglets were still alive after the
gassing process, lying on their sides, eyes open and gasping for air.
The pained vocalizing of one piglet could still be heard, his intestines
dangling out of his body. On one occasion Mike observed four live
piglets in the cart, who had been slowly suffocating from the gas
for over 40 minutes.
According to Dr. Holly Cheever, a
licensed veterinarian who also assists in
prosecution of cruelty to animals, “…it is
painful as well as terrifying to experience
this suffocation without being fully killed.”
Over the course of a day, buckets and cartloads of dead piglets
accumulate in the hallways. Like all factory-farmed animals, these
piglets are viewed as mere profits and losses, rather than the
emotionally complex individuals that they were. As the dead are
loaded onto a tractor, the industry’s disregard for the value and
potential of their lives is expressed by Mike’s co-workers, who
term the process, “dumping the day.”
To view the hidden camera video
visit: MercyForAnimals.org/Pigs
cover story
Pork Alternatives
THE POWER OF OUR PLATES
The average American consumes about 50 farmed animals per year.
We can transform that number into animals spared, not killed, by
choosing a vegan diet, free of meat, dairy and eggs.
What’s more, it’s never been easier to go vegan, as mainstream
grocers have kept up with the rapidly growing demand for animalfriendly fare. We can boycott not only the pork industry, but the cruel
egg industry, by serving a savory tofu scramble instead of eggs
alongside our vegan “sausage” patties or “bacon” strips, and say
“no” to dairy farm cruelty by topping our meatless beer brats with
“Nayonaise” or “Vegenaise” instead of dairy mayonnaise, or melting
soy, rice or nut cheese over our “pepperoni” pizza toppers.
The power to stop animal
suffering is on our plates, as much
as in our hearts. As consumers,
each of us has tremendous power;
it’s as simple as using our consumer
dollars to support compassionate
food industries over cruel ones.
Boycotting the pork industry doesn’t mean giving up
barbecues, pizza parties or hearty American breakfasts.
Check out these mainstream brands of delicious veggie
versions of old favorites:
Bacon: Lifeline’s Smart Bacon; Yves Canadian Bacon
Bologna: Yves Deli Ham Slices; LightLife’s Smart
Deli Ham
Sausage Links and Patties: Lifeline’s Smart Links
Country Breakfast Style; Yves Breakfast Links; Yves
Breakfast Patties
Hot Dogs and Brats:
LightLife’s Tofu Pups; Yves Good
Dogs; Tofurky Beer Brats, Kielbasa
and Sweet Italian Sausage; Yves
Veggie Brats
Ground Sausage: LightLife’s Gimme Lean
Pepperoni: Yves Veggie Pizza Pepperoni;
LightLife’s Smart Deli Pepperoni
CHOOSEVEG.COM
FALL-WINTER 2010 15
action alert
Urge Dunkin' Donuts
to Stop Serving Cruelty
Dunkin’ Donuts is the world’s largest coffee and baked
goods chain, serving egg and dairy products to over 3
million customers daily. In August 2009 an investigator with
the animal advocacy organization, Compassion Over Killing,
worked inside Michael Foods, a company that supplies
eggs to Dunkin’ Donuts. While working at Michael Foods,
he witnessed the unconscionable cruelty behind the eggs
served by Dunkin’ Donuts.
The cruelty documented includes rotting corpses left in
cages with live birds, employees decapitating a hen while
still alive, birds denied access to food or water and many
hens suffering from bloody, open wounds and severe
feather loss. The miserable lives these innocent hens are
forced to endure is unfortunately legal and standard
within the egg industry.
There are 6,400 Dunkin’ Donuts stores in the United States
alone. Each store offers more than 52 varieties of donuts,
all containing eggs and dairy from animals who suffer every
day in factory farms.
Consumers have enormous power to end animal suffering
by choosing to buy cruelty-free food items. Please take
action against this horrific cruelty by not buying from Dunkin’
Donuts and contacting the company to urge them to stop
using eggs and dairy and offer vegan menu items.
Your actions can greatly impact the lives of farmed animals,
as these campaigns have been extremely successful with
Morningstar Farms, LightLife Foods and BOCA, all
companies that reduced or completely eliminated eggs
from their products because of your action.
16 Compassionate Living Mercyforanimals.org
Take Action now!
Contact Dunkin’ Donuts today and let
them know that they need to answer
the call for more humane and healthier
foods by offering vegan menu items!
Email:
www.dunkincruelty.com/act-now
Phone:
800-859-5339
Send a Letter to the CEO:
Dunkin’ Brands, Attn: Nigel Travis,
130 Royall St., Canton, MA 02021
action alert
Bring Fowl Play to
A Screen Near You!
Fowl Play, MFA’s new award-winning documentary, illuminates the plight of factoryfarmed egg-laying hens through shocking undercover video and interviews with people
who are fighting to protect these often forgotten animals. A story of hope emerges
as footage recorded inside battery cage facilities, hatcheries and slaughterhouses is
balanced with personal accounts of individuals working to rescue and give sanctuary to
some of the most abused animals on earth. Help bring this powerful film, and its message of compassion,
to your community by organizing a public screening. Here are
five simple tips to get you started:
Plan Ahead
Plan the event well in advance. A minimum of two months
ahead of time is suggested to ensure a successful event.
Select a Venue
Libraries, colleges, schools, churches, community centers,
movie theaters and art houses are excellent places to hold
screenings. Many venues are available free of charge.
Set Date and Time
Spread the Word
Publicizing the event is vital to its success! There
are many ways to create buzz:
Posters. Put signs up all over town! Coffee shops, veganfriendly restaurants, health food stores, and library community
boards are all great places to promote your screening.
Email announcements. You can send an email invitation
to your friends and family asking them to pass on the event details.
Notices on websites, meet-ups, blogs and social
networks. Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and other meet-up sites are
the perfect places to advertise on the Web.
Announcements in newsletters and bulletins. Many
libraries, newspapers and magazines have community calendars
both online and in print. Contact your local outlets at least three
weeks in advance to ensure that your event is listed on the
community calendar.
Check public calendars for community events, holidays,
elections, school breaks, etc., to ensure that your screening does not
conflict. Evening screenings should start between 6:30 and 8:00 p.m.
Provide Free Refreshments
and Educational Materials
Free vegan food and drinks are a great motivator for people to
come to a screening and a fantastic opportunity to share crueltyfree food with attendees. Serving food after the film is best. Also,
providing attendees with free MFA literature is a must!
See page 22 for ordering information.
To order your copy of Fowl Play,
and to watch select scenes from the
film, visit www.FowlPlayMovie.com.
For more information about holding a
screening of Fowl Play and to request
MFA literature, please contact MFA at
(866)-632-6446.
CHOOSEVEG.COM
FALL-WINTER 2010
17
exclusive interview
The
Inner
World
of Farm Animals
Filmmaker and author, Amy Hatkoff, speaks with MFA’s Suzanne
Fulton about her book, The Inner World of Farm Animals, and her
transforming visit to a farmed animal sanctuary.
Amy Hatkoff is co-author of How to Save the Children,
about fighting the impact of poverty and neglect on
children in the U.S. She is also co-producer of the
documentary, Neglect Not the Children, nominated for
a New York Emmy and winner of the C.I.N.E. Golden
Eagle Award. Her newest book, The Inner World
of Farm Animals, raises awareness of the capacities
of farm animals and makes a plea for their more
humane and compassionate treatment.
CL: What are some of the things you learned
about farm animals that you thought would be
most surprising to your readers?
AH: I found the information about chickens to be among the most
surprising. They can count and even use geometric principles! From
the moment of birth, a chick can remember something exists even
when it is out of sight, something human babies can’t do until they
are 5 to 8 months old. Chickens can also learn from watching videos.
They can communicate their preferences and have more than 30
specific types of calls, including a different call to indicate a predator
who is in the air versus one who is on the ground.
As I was working on the chicken chapter, a good friend of mine
had her first baby. She and her husband used to say to their baby,
18 Compassionate Living Mercyforanimals.org
“Don’t worry, one day you will be as smart as a chicken!”
Pigs who lose or are separated from their offspring or familiar pigs
have been known to mourn themselves to death. They can be
trained to play video games on the computer, and have a great hit
rate! Cows get excited when they solve problems, and like other
farm animals, are altruistic and live by moral codes.
A sheep’s separation anxiety can be soothed by being shown
photographs of familiar sheep. They prefer smiles to frowns and
calm faces to angry faces. Male sheep prefer female sheep whose
faces resemble the males’ mothers!
I think the overall surprise is just how similar all the animals are to
us – they experience joy, sorrow, loyalty and fear. The original title
of the book was Closer than We Think.
Once I started the book, and learned just how
sentient the animals are, I could no longer
eat anything from them.
CL: Has writing this book changed the way that you eat?
AH: What I have learned in writing the book has definitely altered the
way I look at meat, dairy and eggs. I have been a vegetarian on and
off since I was 19. When I first stopped eating meat, it was because
of what I was learning about its negative impact on our health. Once
I started the book, and learned just how sentient the animals are,
I could no longer eat anything from them. I am happy to share that
many of the people who worked on the book or have since read it,
have had this same experience.
CL: There were so many delightful stories of interesting and
endearing behavior on the part of different farm animals.
You must have had favorites – Would you talk about one?
One of my favorites is the story of Debbie, a cow who lived at Poplar
Spring Animal Sanctuary in Maryland. She suffered from arthritis and
one day fell down ill. Thirteen of her bovine friends surrounded her
and mooed until help came. Sadly, the vet determined that it would
be best to put Debbie to sleep. The cows lay down on Debbie’s
grave and cried out in despair. They then disappeared into the forest
and did not come out for food for two days. I was told so many
stories of friendship, maternal love, devotion, humor, personality,
altruism, courage and even heroism among the animals. I think the
stories are the heart and soul of the book.
CL: The Inner World of Farm Animals is an enlightening
exploration into the unique minds and sensitive
personalities of farm animals. Will you continue to explore
this topic in future books?
AH: We are looking into doing a children’s version of The Inner World.
I am also working on some film and television possibilities based on the
book. I plan to continue to my use voice and creativity to speak out for
animals and help in any way I can. There is no turning back now when it
comes to the farm animals.
CL: Is there anything that you would like our readers to know
that I haven’t asked you about?
AH: One month before my deadline, I visited the Woodstock Farm
Animal Sanctuary in upstate New York which brought everything I
was learning about farm animals together on a much deeper level.
On this trip, I came to understand how sentient, intelligent, aware,
unique and personable these animals are. I found myself relating to
them in the same way that I do the dogs and cats in my life. I held a
blind chicken named Coco in my arms. She nuzzled her head into
the crook of my elbow just like my cat used to and started to coo.
I called out to a 1500-pound steer named Dylan, who came running
and lowered his head so I could scratch him behind his ears. I was
greeted by magnificent turkeys, who followed me everywhere and
sat on the grass next to me. I was so surprised by how engaging
they were. I befriended a goat named Jack in whose presence I felt
so soothed and cared for. I think meeting the animals is so important.
The book has a list of sanctuaries and gives a number to call to help
find one in your area.
CHOOSEVEG.COM
FALL-WINTER 2010
19
must know
MEET THE EGG INDUSTRY'S
TINIEST VICTIMS
For nearly a decade, MFA has been at the forefront of national efforts
to protect egg-laying hens. Going undercover from coast-to-coast, MFA
investigators have exposed the cruelty suffered by the nation’s nearly
250 million battery-caged hens, condemned to lives in cages so small
that they cannot spread even one wing. This summer, while working at
Hy-Line North America in Spencer, Iowa, the world’s largest hatchery for
egg-laying breed chicks, an MFA investigator secretly filmed the grim
beginnings in the tortured lives of these hens.
From their first moments of life, the 300,000 chicks hatched daily at
Hy-Line are treated as mere cogs in an industrial machine, enduring
rough handling and painful mutilations, frightening journeys through
machinery that often injures them, and for those deemed unprofitable to
sustain, being ground-up alive.
“I had no idea what cruelty I
was supporting by eating eggs.
Thank you for the wake-up call.”
-Former Egg Consumer
Following its release to the Associated Press and three news
conferences, the undercover footage made headlines around the world.
Millions of people logged onto YouTube to view the video, and on the
second day after its release, it became the second most viral video on
the Internet. The investigation generated over 1,000 major newspaper,
television and radio stories. What follows is an account of the cruelty
caught on tape that horrified and transformed consumers worldwide.
20 Compassionate Living Mercyforanimals.org
From Shell To Hell
The term “factory farm” never seemed more fitting. The breathing,
blinking, living chicks at this facility could have been any inanimate
object produced on any factory assembly line, as they were thrown
down chutes, shaken out of hoppers onto swift-moving conveyor
belts, sifted by a twisting auger, mutilated with infrared radiation,
and for the male chicks, sent flapping and chirping into one end of a
grinder to be ejected at the other end as a mash of mortal remains.
Hy-Line’s own corporate leaders had coldly referred to these chicks as
mere “genetic products.”
Mechanized Madness
Newly hatched chicks, who would naturally enter the world under the
comforting bodies of their mothers, instead often endured severe
injury and death in the “separator,” a machine that separated chicks
from their eggshells. Baskets holding dozens of chicks traveled on a
rapidly moving conveyor to a point at which they were tipped, spilling
the chicks onto another conveyor several inches down. The chicks
tumbled onto their faces, fell onto their backs and landed on top of
each other in piles. This second conveyor spilled the chicks onto yet
another conveyor, which transported them away from the separator.
Chicks sometimes became trapped in the machinery, however, to be
mangled or carried through the separator’s scalding wash cycle.
Female chicks were destined for battery cage egg-laying facilities.
Such facilities confine tens of thousands to millions of hens, four to six
per file drawer-sized cage. In order to reduce feed waste and lessen
damage that might be caused by aggressive pecking – a behavior
induced by the stress of extreme crowding – chicks slated for batterycage facilities routinely suffer “de-beaking.” This painful mutilation
entails scorching part of the chicks’ sensitive beaks with a hot blade,
laser or radiation and is performed without anesthesia. Intense pain
and bleeding often result and some chicks die of shock. Infrared debeaking machines at Hy-line held the birds dangling by their heads,
seared their beaks and then dropped the chicks down a chute.
Ground Up Alive
Male chicks, because they do not produce eggs, are of no use to
the egg industry. Nor can males of the egg-laying breed be sold
profitably for meat, because they will not grow as large or as quickly
as the meat-producing breed. “Sexers” separated male chicks from
females by checking their wing tips to determine their sex, then
flinging them into one of two dark chutes. The females landed on
a conveyor that transported them to the de-beaking stations, while
the males landed on a conveyor that transported them to a massive
grinder with blades that slashed the live, fully conscious chicks to bits.
About half of the chicks born at the hatchery were male, meaning
that about 150,000 male chicks were ground alive each day – over 30
million per year.
These workers roughly throw chicks into chutes
– separating the males from the females.
Handling of chicks was inhumane at every stage of operation.
Sometimes chicks hatched “prematurely” in the incubation room
and workers knowingly left them in trays with unhatched eggs to die
of starvation or dehydration. Chicks also frequently fell through the
separator or became stuck in it and were hosed out by workers. These
were tossed live into trashcans or left to suffer and die on the floor.
Deformed or injured chicks were often set aside overnight without
food or water to be sent to the grinder in the morning. Sexers flung
chicks toward the metal chutes by their wings, risking broken bones
and often causing the birds to crash into the sides of the chutes. Also,
as a chick’s hearing is highly sensitive at hatching, the earsplitting
drone of industrial noise added to their stress and fear.
Business as Usual
The torturous treatment of chicks at Hy-Line is typical of hatcheries
nationwide, which collectively kill more than 200 million male chicks
annually. To the shock of most consumers, there are no federal laws
protecting chickens from cruelty on the farm or at slaughter. As to
what action we can take to end such grisly deaths and suffering,
another former egg consumer, transformed by the chilling Hy-Line
video, said it best:
Chicks are placed headfirst into this rotating
machine, which uses radiation to scorch off
part of their beaks.
“The best solution is not to eat chicken or eggs. Supply and demand.
We the people have more power in our hands than we think – just
using our minds and hearts to make the right choices with how our
dollars are spent.”
“Thank you for informing us
about the baby chicks. My
family will no longer use eggs.”
-Former Egg Consumer
Because male chicks do not produce eggs,
they are killed in a grinding machine.
market place
Logo T
$15 (XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL)
Show your support for
animal liberation with MFA’s
logo apparel. Features the
MFA logo on 100% cotton,
sweatshop-free garments made
by American Apparel.
T available in white or black.
Girls Baby Cap T
Sleeve
$15
(XS, S, M, L, XL)
Available in black only.
>>
Hoodie
$25 (S, M, L, XL, XXL)
This popular item features
MFA’s logo on the front of
a 50/50 cotton/polyester
hooded sweatshirt.
Messenger Bag
$25
For school, work, and
travel — MFA’s messenger bags
give you go-anywhere capabilities
with ease. Bag made from black
canvas by Anvil.
Eat Kind Bag
Veta
geritar
ian
ian
Vegetar
an
ge
Ve
Sta
rte
r
Starter
r
te
Star
Kit
t
KiKit
$5
This new, lightweight
canvas bag is great for
trips to the grocery store.
Nude color with “Eat Kind,
Choose Vegetarian” in
green print, accompanied
by a cute pig holding a
sign with the MFA logo.
>>
r
othe
an
the
ano
nt
another
enr ie
nv
co
ininco
nient
nve
h:h:
utinconvenient
trtrut
truth:
I join us
I join Iusjoin us
s today
For Animal
cyMercy
today
Animals
of Animals today
Mercy
mber of For
ndsFor
e our thousa
of
our thousands
ngside
our
of thousands of
ng alongside
the rights
fend
of
the rights
we
the rights of
as we defend
rs defend
MFA sustains
ontribution to
MFA sustains
you
ible contribution
s.toThank to
MFA sustains
contribution
x-deductible
saving program
programs. Thank you
ur life-saving
our life-saving programs. Thank you
pands
sity!
generosity!
o
___________
_
______________
____________________________
___________________________________
____________
______________ _______________
______________
___________________________________
_______
____ Zip:____
ate:____
Zip:___________
State:________
_______
State:________ Zip:___________
___________
_______
______
- __________________
__________
__) - ___________ - __________________
____________
_______
__
_______
______________
______________
___________________________________
○$75
$50
○$25
○$50○$50○$75○$75
○$25○○$25
○$____________
$500
○
○$500
○$____________
○$500○$____________
250
rship)
/Donat
orAnimals.org
MercyF
als.org/Donate
MercyForAnim
at MercyForAnimals.org/Donate
ne
○ ○ ○○ ○
Ste. 560
N. Broadway, Ste. 560
3712
N. Broadway,
3712
60613 Ste. 560
N. Broadway,
3712
o, IL
Chicag
IL 60613
Chicago,
Chicago, IL 60613
PROTECTING
CTING
PROTE
G
PROTECTIN
ANIMALS
LS
ANIMA
ANI MALS
10/$1
DO DO
CAN CAN
YOU YOU
d: CAN DO
WHAT
WHAT
YOU
get you starte
toWHAT
you started:
tips are tips to get
Here areHere
Here are tips to get you started:
withal emotional
Cows, pigs
and chickens
individuals
with emotional
emotion
are
chickens
withare
alsindividuals
Cows, pigs and
s are individu
our beloved
of those
chicken
and social
lives as complex
as
of our beloved
those
asour
and
beloved
complex
of
social lives as
Cows, pigs
and
x as those
comple
expand
weour
asdogs
By
going
vegetarian,
we our
expand our
livesand
vegetarian,
goingian,
Bycats.
we expand
cats.and
and socialdogs
goingofvegetar
compassion
to all
include
all animals.
cats. By
. animals.
toallinclude
compassion
animals
ofcircles
dogs andcircles
sion to include
circles of compas
This new MFA brochure exposes
another inconvenient truth: meat
production is a leading cause of
global warming. Learn how raising
farmed animals creates more
greenhouse gas emissions than all
the world’s cars and trucks combined.
n n
Kindness
and
compassion
compassio
assio
Kindness
comp
and and
Kindness
is the
the
toward
allthing
living
is the
things
s isthings
all living
toward
living
toward allmark
society.
aedcivilized
ty.society.
socie
mark of aofcivilized
mark of a civiliz
Animals)
to Mercy For
(Make payable
to Mercy For Animals)
er (Make payable
rder
Order (Make payable to Mercy For Animals)
ey
e
_________
______________
___
_______
____________________________
___________________________________
_________
______________
___
_______
____________________________
___________________________________
__________
______________
_______
__________________
______________
___________________________________
Global Warming Brochure
— Cesar
Chavez
Chavez
— Cesar
— Cesar Chavez
tion
meat produccau
produc
ing tionse of
meat
a lead
is
production
of
g
cause
leading
abal
ismeat
warmin
glo
of
cause
leading
a
is
g
warmin
global
global warming
IA N
G ETAR
VEVEG
ETA R IAN
VEG ETAR IAN
GG
TIN
EA
TIN
EA
EATING
inable
rian Foods
ane and Susta
Try Vegeta
Foods
s of
Vegetarian
Try
ian version
Healthy, Hum
vegetarTry
le
of
Vegetarian
Foods
There areThere
versions
vegetarian
milk, yogurt
dogs,
Healthy, Humane and Sustainab
hotare
Therehot
areyou
vegetarian
versions of
milk, yogurt
hamburgers,
enjoy
hamburgers,
tastes dogs,
with the
Healthy, Humane and Sustainable
you enjoy
hamburgers,
hotand
dogs,
milk, yogurt
and more,and
tastes
the erol
cholest
thewith
of and
allmore,
and
more,
with
the tastes
you enjoy
but without
cholesterol
health
ofinthe
all
the
without
but
them
fat. Find
health
.
the
butfat.
without
all
of
the
cholesterol
and
in
saturatedsaturated
Find them
grocers
your local
s ofsaturated
grocers.
fat. Find
in the health
food section
localthem
of your
food sections
food sections of your local grocers.
a Week
rian One Day
Go Vegeta
Day a Week
Onenew
GotryVegetarian
foods and
new
and new
Gotry
Vegetarian
One
Day a Week
Gradually
foods
until
newdays
Gradually
ian
Add vegetar
recipes.recipes.
Gradually
try newdays
foodsuntil
and new
vegetarian
Addian.
fully vegetar
you are you
Add vegetarian days until
fully vegetarian.
arerecipes.
you are fully vegetarian.
Vegetarian
Dine Out
Vegetarian
Dine Out
ants offer
restaur
Many ethnic
Dine Out
Vegetarian
restaurants
Visit offer
ethnic
Many
ian dishes.
vegetar
savory savory
Many
ethnicdishes.
restaurants
ian- Visit offer
vegetarian
for vegetar
ide.org
VegGuVegGuide.org
savory vegetarian
dishes.
area. Visit
vegetarianin your
hments for
establis
friendlyfriendly
your area.
VegGuide.org
in vegetarianestablishmentsfor
friendly establishments in your area.
More
LearnLearn
More om for more
eVeg.c
Visit Choos
for more
Learn More
om free
ChooseVeg.c
Visit
to order your
and ChooseVeg.com
tionVisit
freemore
informa
withfor
order
filledyour
andr to
Kit,
information
Starte
rian
with
Vegeta
filled
information
and for
toKit,
order
your
free
Starter
tips
Vegetarian
and
s recipes
deliciou
Vegetarian
Starter
Kit, filled with
diet.for
and
iantips
delicious
a vegetar
to recipes
ning
diet.
transitio
delicioustorecipes
and tips
for
a vegetarian
transitioning
transitioning to a vegetarian diet.
ay, Ste 560
3712 N Broadw
IL 60613 Ste 560
3712 No,Broadway,
Chicag
IL 60613 Ste 560
3712
N Broadway,
Chicago,
32.6446
1.866.6
als.org
Chicago,
IL 60613
1.866.632.6446
MercyForAnim
als.org
1.866.632.6446
MercyForAnim
MercyForAnimals.org
in this brochure,
information referenced
eferences in this brochure,
full citations for for information
referenced
all theall
To view
the full citations
yForAnimals.org/VER
To view
www.Merc
ls.org/VEReferences
Tovisit
view
all the
full citations for information
referenced in this brochure,
www.MercyForAnima
visit
visit www.MercyForAnimals.org/VEReferences
, yet powerful
diet is a simple
the
A plant-based
and protectpowerful
health simple,
improve your
diet is aanimal
wayAtoplant-based
s. yet
ment andhealth
and protect the
environ
improve your
wayAto
plant-based
diet is a animals.
simple, yet powerful
and
way toenvironment
improve your health and protect the
environment and animals.
Vegetarian Starter Kit
4/$1
adopt
to adopt
know to
everything you
everything
you need
need to
to know
know
diet
everything
to adopt
assionate
comp
and compassionate
healthy
aaa healthy
hy and
compassionate diet
healt
diet
Reduce Suffering
Reduce Suffering
ing on modern
entire
Animals
farms
spend
their lives
entire lives
theirlives
spend
Suffer
farms their
entire
on modern
ReduceAnimals
spend
farms
around,
turnto
in cages
ortoo
stalls
too small
fortothem
turn around,
modern
them
or stalls
Animalsinon
cages
themforto turn around,or wings.
forsmall
too small
comfortably
lie
down
or extend
their limbs or wings.
their limbs
or stalls
extend
or
lie down
in cagescomfortably
their limbs or wings.
extendare
down
Pigs
andorcattle
castrated
and tail-docked
and tail-docked
ably lie
are castrated
comfortPigs
and cattle
d and tail-docked improperly
are castrate
without
anesthesia.
At slaughter,
many improperly
many erly
cattle
At slaughter,
anesthesia.
Pigs and
er, many improp butchwithout
slaught
At
sia.
and and butchstunned
animals
are skinned,
scalded
scalded
butchanesthe
are skinned,
animals
withoutstunned
, scalded and
skinned
a
awho adopts
who adopts
eredare
while
conscious.
Each
person
a
animals
adopts
Each person
who
stunned
while conscious.
ered
person
us. Each
from from
animals
vegetarian
diet spares
more
than
50 animals
50
from
conscio
than
more50
animals
ered while
vegetarian diet spares
than
more
spares
suffering
and
death
each year.
ian diet
each year.
death
and each
vegetarsuffering
year.
suffering and death
dod
ethod
:
inside
inside:
es inside:
reciprecipes
recipes
tips tips
tips
info info
info
MFA’s 32-page Starter Kit is
packed full of mouth-watering
recipes, helpful tips, and
thought-provoking information
on the health, ethical, and
environmental reasons to go
vegetarian.
Vegetarian Eating Brochure
10/$1
Vegetarian Starter Kit
Positive, inspiring, and
informative, this nongraphic pro-vegetarian
brochure describes the
ethical, health, and
environmental benefits
of a plant-based diet.
>>
“Not Cool” T
$20 (XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL)
This pro-vegetarian hipster T
features the etchings of the human
rib cage, a dotted line delineating
the stomach, and a swallowed
chick-with-attitude declaring, “Not
Cool.” A larger chick rests on the
back bottom corner of the T and
concludes “Go Vegetarian.” The left
sleeve bears the MFA logo.
Beef Cuts 101 T
$20 (XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL)
Parodying the classic Beef Cuts
diagram used by butchers, this
edgy new T gives a brutally honest
look at what’s truly for dinner.
Fowl Play DVD
Puppy & Piglet Brochure
$10
10/$1
Complete with graphic factory farm
and slaughterhouse photos, shocking
facts, and info dispelling the “humane”
meat myth, MFA’s newest brochure
challenges readers to show compassion
for all animals, not just cats and dogs,
by going vegetarian.
Item Description
Size
MFA’s new, award-winning
documentary featuring footage
from the country’s largest egg
facilities, as well as interviews
with animal rescuers, undercover
investigators, and animal care
professionals.
Qty.
Price
Total
TOTAL
Donation
Name
Address
Phone or E-mail
Payment Information
Check or Money Order Enclosed
Credit Card #
Exp. Date
Signature
>> Mail order and payment to:
Mercy For Animals, 3712 N. Broadway, Ste. 560, Chicago, IL 60613
NONPROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
DALLAS, TX
PERMIT NO. 107
3712 N. Broadway, Ste. 560, Chicago, IL 60613
Postage required unless mailed by MFA.
Treat yourself to an unforgettable evening honoring kindness toward animals.
JANUARY 23, 2010 7 P.M.
PRINCE GEORGE BALLROOM
ADVANCED TICKETS $75
ENJOY
Delicious vegan dinner & desserts Cruelty-free silent auction
Live comedy by Dan Piraro Awards ceremony
Eco wine and spirits Celebrity guests and much more!
ORDER TICKETS: 866.632.6446 OR CELEBRATINGCOMPASSION.COM
AN INSPIRING EVENING WITH