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3 Reasons to Vote YES on 3

Prevent farm animal cruelty with just one vote: YES on Question 3!

With Election Day only a few short days away, the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) wants to remind you why this is such an important election year. Sure, you’re voting for the next President of the United States — but you’re also voting YES to stop unnecessary farm animal cruelty and YES to protecting Massachusetts families from unsafe food products.

Endorsed by the ARL and all of Massachustts’ major animal welfare groups, The Act to Prevent Cruelty to Farm Animals, ballot Question 3, is a modest animal protection and food safety measure that will prevent breeding pigs, chickens, and calves from being confined in cages so small they can’t even turn around or extend their limbs.

Here are 3 reasons to vote YES on 3:

  1. Promotes responsible farming. Question 3 phases out the use of highly-restrictive cages by 2022, giving producers and retailers ample time to comply with the modest requirement that farm animals have enough space to turn yes on 3 blog thumbaround and extend their limbs.
  2. Protects food safety. Industrial animal operations put consumers’ health at risk. Unable to move and constantly stressed, confined animals suffer from weakened immune systems that lead to illness. The Center for Food Safety endorses Question 3 because numerous studies show that egg operations that confine hens in cages have higher rates of Salmonella, the leading cause of food poisoning-related death in humans in America.
  3. Makes economic sense. Most Massachusetts farmers are already cage-free and have shown that affordable food can be produced with animal welfare in mind. According to a study conducted by the egg industry itself, it costs just a penny per egg to produce cage-free eggs rather than battery cage eggs. The pork industry published a study that determined it can cost 11 percent less not to use gestation crates. In addition to the ten states that have passed laws prohibiting certain types of extreme confinement, nearly 200 major food retailers, such as McDonalds’s, Walmart, and Dollar Tree, and restaurant chains have policies phasing them out.

When you hit the polls on Tuesday, November 8, don’t forget to vote YES on Question 3 to prevent farm animal cruelty!

Vote YES on Question 3

Election Day is Tuesday, November 8 – Don’t forget to vote YES on ballot Question 3 to prevent farm animal cruelty!

The Act to Prevent Cruelty to Farm Animals, on the ballot as Question 3, is a modest animal protection and food safety measure that will prevent breeding pigs, chickens, and calves from being confined in cages so small they can’t even turn around or extend their limbs. A YES vote on Question 3 will also protect Massachusetts families from substandard and unsafe food products.

Question 3 is endorsed by all of Massachusetts’ major animal welfare groups, including the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL), MSPCA, Berkshire Humane Society, Dakin Humane Society, and Zoo New England, as well as national charities like the ASPCA and the Humane Society of the United States and more than 500 Massachusetts veterinarians.

citizens for farm animal protection

The amount of  “personal space” each hen has is smaller than an iPad.

Why Vote YES on Question 3?

  • The vast majority of pork sold in the Commonwealth comes from industrial factory farms where pigs used for breeding are confined in narrow crates so small they can’t even turn around. This limitation in movement results in a lifetime of crippling pain and emotional distress. Calves raised for veal are often confined in similar conditions.
  • Most of the eggs sold in Massachusetts come from industrial egg producers that cram hens into cages so small the birds can’t even spread their wings. Packed five or more to a cage, each hen spends her whole life in a space smaller than an iPad. Chickens often suffer from bone fractures, feather-loss, and can die from starvation or dehydration.

Your vote counts, so please vote YES on Question 3 this Election Day!

Take Action for Farm Animals on February 11

Join The Citizens for Farm Animal Protection at farm ballot hearing

This fall, the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) helped gather over 133,000 signatures (more than double of what was required!) as part of the effort to secure a November 2016 ballot measure to end the extreme confinement of farm animals in Massachusetts.

the citizens for farm animal protection

This Fall, The Citizens for Farm Animal Protection successfully collected over 133,000 signatures as the first step in securing a November 2016 ballot measure that would put an end to the extreme confinement of farm animals in Massachusetts.

The ballot measure would require that farm animals in Massachusetts — specifically egg-laying hens, breeding pigs, and veal calves — have enough room to turn around, lay down, and stretch their limbs. It would also ensure that shell eggs, and whole, uncooked cuts of pork and veal sold in the Commonwealth are compliant with these modest standards.

With the first major hurdle cleared, the  initiative now goes before Massachusetts State legislature as House Bill 3930 and is scheduled for a hearing one week from today…..

Hearing on an Act to Prevent Cruelty to Farm Animals
Thursday, February 11, 2016, 1 pm
Massachusetts State House in Room A-2
24 Beacon St.
Boston, MA 01233

citizens for farm animal protection

The most commonly used battery cages hold 5-10 birds per cage. Hens kept in these cages are unable to even spread a wing.

During the hearing, industry experts and members of The Citizen’s for Farm Animal Protection Coalition will testify in front of the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture, and encourage state officials to work on legislation to make the reforms proposed in the ballot initiative law.

If the legislature decides NOT to take up the bill by early May, the next step is to gather a second round of signatures from Massachusetts voters to qualify for the November 2016 ballot.

TAKE ACTION NOW…

  1. Show your support for farm animals and attend the public legislative hearing on February 11 at the State House
  2. Share the hearing’s Facebook event with your family, friends, and social media network – visit http://bit.ly/PreventCrueltyHearing
  3. Contact legislators on the committee and urge them to take up action on the bill.
Over 133,000 Massachusetts Voters Say “Yes” to STOP Farm Animal Cruelty

ARL hosts rally to celebrate successful signature campaign

Earlier today,  Citizens for Farm Animal Protection announced they had successfully gathered over 130,000 signatures as part of the effort to secure a 2016 ballot measure in Massachusetts to phase out the extreme confinement of animals at industrial-style factory farms, as well as the sale of products produced under those conditions.

The ARL joined the coalition this summer and worked alongside other animal welfare groups, veterinarians, farmers, local businesses, and individuals to collect signatures. Over the last 9 weeks, more than 1,000 volunteers across the state spent countless hours asking Massachusetts voters to sign the petition for farm animals.

Thanks to the hard work of dedicated volunteers and supporters who were passionate about this issue leaders, the number of signatures collected is double the number of signatures required to qualify for the Massachusetts ballot!

By signing the petition, voters were saying “yes” to allow veal calves, breeding pigs, and egg-laying hens the basic right to stand up, lie down, turn around, and extend their limbs.

citizens for farm animal protection

Muneco, showed his support by giving everyone a high paw for their dedicated efforts!

“The outpouring of support from Massachusetts voters who signed the ballot petition clearly reflects the growing consensus that humane and safe food sources benefits animals and people alike,” explained Mary Nee, president of the ARL.

The rainy weather today didn’t stop dozens of local and national animal protection leaders, coalition leaders, and volunteers from gathering at the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s headquarters in South End, Boston for a celebratory rally to acknowledge this momentous achievement.

While enjoying well-deserved refreshments and hors d’oeuvres, rally attendees listened to remarks from animal welfare leaders including representatives from the Humane Society of the United States, the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Mary also offered remarks of gratitude and inspiration: “Thanks to the dedicated efforts of all the coalition members, volunteers, and supporters, we all moved one step closer to ending the cruel confinement of farm animals.”

After the rally concluded, volunteers delivered and formally filed the  petitions with the Secretary of the Commonwealth.

citizens for farm animal protection

ARL’s president, Mary Nee, was thrilled to take the stage and speak about the campaign’s successes thus far.

In the coming weeks, the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office will review the coalition’s submission and verify that it will qualify as the first phase toward getting it onto the 2016 ballot.

The next step… Volunteers are needed to collect additional signatures in Spring 2016 to guarantee a spot on next year’s ballot.

A big THANK YOU to all of the dedicated volunteers who collected signatures for the farm ballot initiative and to all those who supported this momentous effort to end the extreme confinement of farm animals!

Happening Now: The ARL Joins Coalition to Improve the Protection and Treatment of Farm Animals

The Citizens for Farm Animal Protection advocates for an end to extreme confinement of farm animals in Massachusetts

The Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) and other national and local animal welfare leaders have gathered on the front steps of the Massachusetts State House to formally announce their newly developed coalition, Citizens for Farm Animal Protection, and ballot initiative to curb animal abuse on industrial-style factory farms in Massachusetts.

The coalition aims to collect more than 90,000 signatures by Fall 2015 to help secure a spot on the 2016 ballot.

Mary Nee, president of the Animal Rescue League of Boston, explains why the ARL is in support of this ballot initiative: “The cruel confinement of farm animals is inhumane and also threatens the health and safety of Massachusetts residents through increased risk of foodborne illness.  When there’s an effort to improve the protection and treatment of animals – whether they are companion, working, or farm animals – the Animal Rescue League of Boston is there to help.”

The Citizens for Farm Animal Protection coalition also includes the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Zoo New England, and United Farm Workers.

citizens for farm animal protection

In many industrial animal farms, hens are forced into battery cages so small that they cannot spread their wings. Their amount of “personal space” is smaller than an iPad!

The Citizens for Farm Animal Protection’s goal is to qualify a measure for the 2016 ballot phasing out the extreme confinement of farm animals — specificallyegg-laying hens, breeding pigs, and veal calves — in small crates and cages, requiring that these animals have enough room to turn around, lay down, and stretch their limbs.

Examples of extreme confinement on industrial-style factory farms include:

  • Egg-laying hens packed into battery cages so small that they cannot spread their wings
  • Breeding female pigs restricted to two-foot wide gestational crates that don’t allow them to take more than one step forward or backward
  • Veal calves restrained in crates too narrow to turn around or fully recline

Industrial animal operations put our health at risk: cramming tens of thousands of animals into tiny cages promotes the spread of diseases.

Numerous studies show that egg operations that confine hens in cages have higher rates of Salmonella, the leading cause of food poisoning-related death in America. Animals kept in extreme confinement often live in their own waste and are pumped full of drugs that can taint the food we eat.

If the 2016 ballot becomes law, it will also ensure that shell eggs, and whole, uncooked cuts of pork and veal sold in the Commonwealth are compliant with these modest standards

Ten states in the US have passed similar laws, and farmers in Massachusetts are already required to abide by the non-confinement regulations. Additionally, many local and major food retailers, including Dunkin Donuts, McDonald’s and Walmart, are currently working with food suppliers to make similar reforms.

Help protect farm animals! Look out for and sign the petition that will help secure the 2016 ballot to phase out extreme confinement on industrial-style factory farms.