If you thought last week was full of good news for animals, that was just the beginning ... the good news has just kept coming this week!
Yesterday Australian Pork Limited announced that they were "pursuing a voluntary phase out" of sow stalls by 2017. Now we all know that 2017 really isn't soon enough - I mean Coles has committed to doing the same by 2014 - but this still marks a major victory and means ultimately millions of mother pigs will be spared a miserable life of solitary confinement.
But wait, there's more! This morning Coles added another to their recent streak of animal welfare improvements. They've announced they will be completely ditching their own brand of cage eggs by 2013. I don't think I need to tell you that this is good news for those who care about animals and bad news for animal abusers.
I'm gonna say it... this is the beginning of the end for factory farming! Supermarkets and industry (or at least the pig industry) are seeing the writing on the wall. Factory farming's days are numbered. Really, once the public realises that piglets have their tails cut off without pain relief, or that chickens raised for meat are crammed into sheds by the thousands only to marinate in their own waste for 42 days before slaughter, will they want to support those practices? I think not!
At this rate we'll be out of a job in no time (ok maybe that's wishful thinking). But really, if you want to help put us out of a job and give animals the ultimate protection they deserve then the answer's simple - don't eat 'em.
Tell me, what factory farming practice would you like to see put into the history books next?
Wow! I feel good now!!
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Sadly, most people still don't connect the idea of shrink-wrapped meat on the supermarket shelf with the animal who died to make that product. The fact that we are starting to see more humane animal products on the shelves (free range, etc) means that more people are beginning to make that all-important connection. This makes it easier for many people to take the next step to realise that they wouldn't want to harm an animal at all for the sake of their food. True -- some meat eaters will never make that leap, and may feel pleased that they are no longer supporting factory farming, which in itself is a good thing (other meat eaters may remain oblivious; and it's better that these people support less cruel systems than more cruel systems). But certainly many people come to vegetarianism by first making more conscious decisions about where their meat came from. What we need to do to help these people is always be encouraging steps in the right direction, educating them about how amazing, social, intelligent farm animals are, and show them how amazing cruelty-free, meat-free food is!
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It's great news that we are close to getting rid of one of the worst practices in Australian farming, but there will still be major problems with the way animals are raised for food in Australia even once sow stalls are gone.
Mother pigs can still be locked in a cage similar to a sow stall for several weeks after their piglets are born. Their piglets get their tails and teeth cut without pain relief. And ultimately all animal raised for meat (and eggs and dairy for that matter) face the stress and fear of being crammed into trucks and sent to slaughter.
So the best way to protect animals is still simply not to eat them
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