MFA Blog

MFA Blog tag:,2009-03-04:/2 2012-05-16T21:01:58Z Movable Type 4.21-en Meredith Vieira's New View: Veganism Is Best tag:www.mfablog.org,2012://2.681 2012-05-16T20:47:49Z 2012-05-16T21:01:58Z

Nathan Runkle

Celebrated journalist and game show host Meredith Vieira recently announced that she finally made the switch to a healthy and compassionate vegan diet. Almost two months ago, the former co-host of The View appeared on The Ellen Degeneres Show, explaining that she wanted to become vegan but was having reservations about making the leap. Shortly thereafter, Vieira learned more about factory farm cruelty, and declared in an appearance on The Chew that she now adheres to a vegan diet.

On The Chew, Vieira told acclaimed Chef Mario Batali that her decision was a mostly ethical and moral one. "I've done a lot of stories on the way food is, you know, processed in this country - animals - and it's very disturbing."

Vieira joins the growing number of high-profile celebrities who have also chosen to adopt a kind and compassionate vegan lifestyle, including Russell Simmons, Alicia Silverstone, Ellen Degeneres, Ozzy Osbourne, Mike Tyson, and Emily Deschanel.

Visit ChooseVeg.com for delicious recipes and tips on making the transition to a vegan lifestyle. For your free Vegetarian Starter Kit, click here. ]]> State of the Ag Gag tag:www.mfablog.org,2012://2.680 2012-05-16T16:34:44Z 2012-05-16T16:49:24Z

Nathan Runkle

The meat, egg, and dairy industries are desperate to keep the public from learning about the abuse and suffering farmed animals endure behind closed doors. At the behest of the agricultural industry, several states recently introduced so-called "ag-gag" legislation, aimed at criminalizing undercover investigations and silencing those who dare to expose cruel, corrupt and even illegal practices at factory farms and slaughterhouses.

Due in large part to the compassionate MFA supporters who contacted their legislators, and the behind-the-scenes efforts of a broad coalition of national groups, the shameful attempts by pro-factory farming legislators in several states to criminalize such investigations have stalled out.

Earlier this year, the Florida legislature removed the objectionable ag-gag language from a larger omnibus agricultural bill after voters harshly criticized it. In Indiana, the bill was denied a hearing and died in committee. In Illinois, the bill was tabled by its sponsor, and Tennessee's ag-gag bill failed to garner support in the House of Representatives.

Nebraska's bill has been "indefinitely postponed," and in New York, bill sponsor Jean Richie withdrew her ag-gag from consideration, crediting animal advocates with alerting her to "Big Ag's" hidden agenda. And last week, in another victory for farmed animals, the Minnesota Senate adjourned without passing its ag-gag legislation. That's right. The Minnesota bill is dead!

Unfortunately, Missouri's ag-gag bill is still moving dangerously close to passage. If you are a Missouri resident, farmed animals need your continued support in fighting this bill. Please click here and take a few seconds to contact your representatives and tell them to focus on prosecuting animal abusers, not those who dare to expose them.

While most of these dangerous ag-gag bills have been defeated, and despite the valiant efforts of MFA supporters nationwide, Iowa and Utah have bowed to pressure from Big Ag, and put the interests of big business ahead of animal welfare, public safety, and our constitutional rights.

Both Governor Terry Branstad (Iowa) and Governor Gary Herbert (Utah) signed ag-gag legislation into law in early 2012. As reported in the Des Moines Register, the election campaigns for many of the Iowa legislators who supported the bill, as well as Governor Branstad himself, were heavily funded by agricultural interests, and ultimately, these legislators sold out their constituents and animals to such interests.

Not surprisingly, one of Governor Branstad's top campaign sponsors was Iowa Select Farms, the target of a 2011 Mercy For Animals undercover investigation. A quick look behind the scenes at Iowa Select shows what this cruel company is working so desperately to hide:

Time and again, MFA's undercover investigations at factory farms and slaughterhouses nationwide have revealed abuses that shock and horrify most Americans--which is why the animal agriculture industry is fighting so hard to keep the suffering of farmed animals hidden behind closed doors.

Not a single federal law protects farmed animals from abuse or neglect during their lives on factory farms and many states specifically exclude farmed animals from protection against even some of the worst forms of factory farm cruelty. But instead of strengthening laws to protect animals and consumers, corrupt legislators in some states are attempting to silence undercover investigators who expose cruel and even criminal activities at factory farms.

While most of these bills failed to pass this year, it is certain the powerful factory farming lobby is already hard at work ensuring they will be introduced again next year--making it even more vital that animal advocates continue to distribute undercover videos of factory farms, hatcheries and slaughterhouses and expose consumers to the cruelty inherent in animal agriculture. Now is the time to speak out!

Click here to learn more about how you can help expose the truth that factory farmers are working so desperately to hide.

]]> Denny's Working with Suppliers to Eliminate Cruel Gestation Crates tag:www.mfablog.org,2012://2.679 2012-05-16T16:15:55Z 2012-05-16T16:25:31Z

Nathan Runkle

Denny's, one of the largest restaurant chains in the country, announced yesterday that it will be working with its pork suppliers to eliminate the use of gestation crates.

"Denny's takes its role as a responsible corporate citizen seriously, which is why we have adopted a strong position on animal welfare. We will endeavor to purchase products from companies that provide gestation crate-free pork and are committed to influencing our suppliers to share in a gestation crate-free vision for the future. Working to eliminate gestation crates is best for our company, our guests, and our continued work to improve animal welfare," said Greg Linford, Denny's vice president, procurement and distribution.

The list of restaurant chains working to eliminate gestation crates from their supply chains continues to grow week after week. Denny's joins McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, and Tim Hortons in this commitment.

MFA supports these supply chain improvements and expects to see more and more restaurants, foodservice companies (Compass Group) and retailers (Safeway) making this move.

Gestation crates are small metal enclosures in which pregnant sows are barely able to move and are effectively kept for their entire lives. "Basically, you're asking a sow to live in an airline seat," said world-renowned farmed-animal welfare expert Temple Grandin.

While Mercy For Animals applauds Denny's for taking this very important step to lessen the suffering of farmed animals, the best thing consumers can do to prevent unnecessary suffering is to adopt a kind and compassionate vegan lifestyle. For delicious recipes and instructional cooking videos, visit ChooseVeg.com. ]]> MFA Dishes Up Hearty Recipes, Conversation, and Deals with the Spork Sisters tag:www.mfablog.org,2012://2.678 2012-05-15T20:04:20Z 2012-05-15T20:15:08Z

Nathan Runkle

Owned and operated by sisters Jenny Engel and Heather Goldberg, Spork Foods is a Los Angeles-based gourmet vegan food company that offers in-person cooking classes, healthy eating consultations, recipe development, and an array of online cooking classes. These savvy sisters created Spork Online as a vehicle to demonstrate how incredible, colorful, satisfying, and uplifting vegan food can be.

This month, Jenny and Heather spent a day making Southeast Asian foods like fresh spring rolls, lettuce cups, red curry, and mango sticky rice, and speaking with MFA staffers about factory farm cruelty. In a video for Spork Online, MFA's Executive Director Nathan Runkle says, "Even though the way animals are treated on factory farms is against people's core values of kindness, compassion, empathy, and respect, it's still an issue largely because it's out of sight and it's out of mind." He goes on to say, "Exposing what's going on and giving people the resources they need to move forward - and making it more culturally acceptable to be vegan - all helps move the ball in that direction."

Making veganism both delicious and easy, Spork Online is sure to inspire people everywhere to transition to a kind and compassionate diet.

Throughout the month of May, the Spork Sisters are offering a discount to members and supporters of Mercy For Animals. Use the code "MFAMEMBER" for 50% off of the initial fee at any membership level. Join today! ]]> Study: Meat Consumption on a Steady Decline in United States tag:www.mfablog.org,2012://2.677 2012-05-14T19:56:09Z 2012-05-15T18:34:13Z

Nathan Runkle

As Americans are becoming more aware of farmed animal cruelty - and stomach-churning meat industry practices like using "pink slime" and "meat glue," it's no wonder the demand for meat is slowly sinking. According to a new study compiling data by the USDA, National Center for Health Statistics, United Nations, and the U.S. Census Bureau, the average meat eater consumed fewer land animals in 2011 than any year going back to 2000.

In 2011, compared to 2010, the number of land animals that died for American consumption fell from 8.4 to 8.2 billion, or 242 million fewer animals - including 1 million fewer cows, 5 million fewer pigs, and 240 million fewer chickens. That's a nationwide drop from 8.9 billion in 2005 to 8.2 billion in 2011, or 725 million fewer animals killed.

While this drop in meat consumption is good news, the sad truth remains that billions of animals slaughtered for food continue to suffer intensive confinement, painful mutilations, brutal handling, and violent deaths. Visit ChooseVeg.com to find out how you can make a difference by switching to a cruelty-free, plant-based diet.

For your free Vegetarian Starter Kit, please click here. ]]> Hollywood Star Michael Clarke Duncan Declares His Commitment to a Plant-Based Diet tag:www.mfablog.org,2012://2.676 2012-05-14T18:19:40Z 2012-05-14T18:26:55Z

Nathan Runkle

Last week, Michael Clarke Duncan, the muscle-bound, Oscar-nominated actor best known for his role as "John Coffey" in the Green Mile, declared his dedication to a vegetarian diet.

Michael went vegetarian 3 years ago, after eating a diet that was heavily meat based. Since then, he's been healthier and stronger than ever before. He attributes his motivation to go veg not only to his poor health, but also to his love for animals after learning about the cruelty farmed animals endure behind the closed doors of modern day factory farms. Michael says, "I never knew what the process was from that animal to my plate."

Michael joins the growing list of Hollywood stars who have also decided to ditch cruelty by adopting a vegetarian diet, including Ellen Degeneres, Steve-O, Alicia Silverstone, and Emily Deschanel.

For tips on improving your health and helping animals by transitioning to a vegetarian lifestyle, visit ChooseVeg.com. Click here to order a free Vegetarian Starter Kit. ]]> Foie Gras Fight: USDA Sued for Failure to Enforce Poultry Law tag:www.mfablog.org,2012://2.675 2012-05-14T15:39:11Z 2012-05-14T15:56:22Z

Nathan Runkle

A lawsuit filed by several animal welfare organizations earlier this week charges the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) with condoning extreme animal cruelty and permitting diseased meat to enter the food supply.

The lawsuit, brought by the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Compassion Over Killing, the Animal Protection & Rescue League, and Farm Sanctuary, alleges that the sale of foie gras for human consumption violates the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA).

Foie gras is the diseased liver of ducks and geese that is the result of painful force-feeding. Tubes are forcefully shoved down the birds' throats and they are forced to consume more food than they would ever possibly consume naturally. The result: their livers become diseased and engorged, growing up to ten times their normal size.

The PPIA prohibits diseased, or "adulterated" meat from entering the food supply. In violation of federal law, however, the USDA has been permitting the production and sale of foie gras as a matter of course, instead of condemning the product for what it really is: a diseased organ that is the result of extreme animal cruelty.

Scientific studies have shown that people who consume foie gras are at a higher risk for a variety of physical ailments, including type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. Recently, the National Academy of Sciences published a study linking foie gras consumption to the development of secondary amyloidosis, a deadly disease.

Production of foie gras is so cruel that it has been banned in numerous countries worldwide. On July 1, 2012, a statewide ban is set to take effect in California, barring the production and sale of foie gras. ]]> This Summer, Join MFA at Two Exciting Animal Protection Conferences tag:www.mfablog.org,2012://2.674 2012-05-10T17:13:26Z 2012-05-10T17:24:46Z

Nathan Runkle

The eighth annual Taking Action for Animals Conference will be held in Washington, D.C., from July 27th through July 30th. The 2012 TAFA Conference will include workshops on a wide range of topics, including becoming a citizen lobbyist, fundraising for nonprofits, and harnessing the media to communicate effectively for animals.

Guest speakers include prominent figures in the animal advocacy movement, including MFA's Executive Director Nathan Runkle, New York Times bestselling author Kathy Freston, and Headline News' Jane Velez-Mitchell.

2012 TAFA sponsors include Mercy For Animals, ASPCA, Big Cat Rescue and Farm Sanctuary, to name just a few.

Click here to read more.

In addition, animal advocates from across the country will converge in Washington, D.C., for the annual Animal Rights National Conference, from August 2nd through August 5th. Complete with nearly 80 acclaimed speakers representing 60 organizations, this is the world's longest-running animal advocacy symposium.

Over 100 inspiring and informative workshops and training sessions will be presented on topics ranging from animals and the law, grassroots activism, vegan campaigns, personal skill building, and updates on national efforts to protect animals used for fur, food, and vivisection. Delicious vegan cuisine and cruelty-free shopping opportunities also await attendees.

Several Mercy For Animals representatives will present on various issues at the conference, including MFA's undercover investigations, advertisement campaigns, and grassroots outreach, and legal issues.

Other noteworthy speakers include Gene Bauer and Bruce Friedrich of Farm Sanctuary, New York Times bestselling author Victoria Moran, and Jenny Brown of Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary.

For all of the exciting conference details, and to register for the event, visit ARConference.org. ]]> California Prepares to Say Farewell to Foie Gras as Ban Approaches tag:www.mfablog.org,2012://2.672 2012-05-10T13:56:55Z 2012-05-10T14:07:23Z

Nathan Runkle

On July 1, 2012, a statewide ban on the sale and production of foie gras in California is set to take effect. The ban is a landmark victory for animal welfare and further strengthens California's laws relating to the protection of animals.

In a last-ditch effort to prevent the new law from taking effect, a group of California chefs petitioned lawmakers to overturn the ban on foie gras production and sale. However, California lawmakers were not to be swayed, and not a single legislator has agreed to sponsor legislation that would overturn the new law.

Foie gras is French for "fatty liver," and its production entails extreme animal cruelty and suffering. Pipes are painfully shoved down ducks' throats and they are forced to ingest several pounds of food at once--far more than they would eat naturally. This process is often repeated two to three times a day.

The ducks' livers become engorged and diseased, swelling up to ten times their normal size, and resulting in horrific emotional and physical suffering of these unfortunate animals.

Most ducks find it difficult to walk and breathe normally. Many suffer from ruptured organs and die. Ducks are typically crammed into small, filthy cages for the duration of their lives, unable to move, walk, or spread their wings. They become so distressed, they sometimes tear out their own feathers or cannibalize each other.

Many restaurant chains, including Wolfgang Puck, have banned the sale of foie gras. Worldwide, several European countries, as well as Argentina and Israel, prohibit foie gras production. California is the first state in the U.S. to ban the production and sale of foie gras produced by cruel force-feeding techniques.

Mercy For Animals applauds the California legislature for taking a firm stance against egregious animal cruelty and not swaying to the pressures of a small group of uncaring chefs. Ultimately, however, the most effective way for consumers to prevent unnecessary suffering of farmed animals is by adopting a healthy and compassionate vegan diet. ]]> Bill Clinton Praises Plant-Based Eating on Ellen tag:www.mfablog.org,2012://2.671 2012-05-09T21:53:08Z 2012-05-09T22:04:41Z

Nathan Runkle

Two of the most famous and influential people in the world are also two of the most prominent vegans, and one, former president Bill Clinton, was a guest this week on the TV show of the other, Ellen DeGeneres. The former president said of veganism, "It's just a good thing to do. It'll be healthier for you, and it'll put less stress on your cardiovascular system." He shared that he feels much healthier and that "this is the third week in a row where I will weigh less than I did the day I finished high school."

President Clinton, long known for his love for fast food, has made headlines by speaking openly to major media from CNN to David Letterman about the benefits he has experienced upon adopting a plant-based diet, which has also led to many other news stories educating people about vegan eating.

On the Ellen show, President Clinton also talked about the humanitarian efforts of his Clinton Foundation, from providing lifesaving medications to children with AIDS, to helping farmers in developing nations, to fighting childhood obesity. While President Clinton went vegan for health reasons due to the heart problems he developed from years of eating a standard American diet, he can also include using his position to promote his own plant-based diet among his good deeds in the world, given the benefits of veganism to human health, animals, and the planet.

For tips on getting started on a vegetarian or vegan diet, or to order a free Vegetarian Starter Kit, visit ChooseVeg.com. ]]> New Video: Tyson Pork Supplier Caught Beating Pigs tag:www.mfablog.org,2012://2.670 2012-05-09T21:20:47Z 2012-05-09T21:51:02Z

Nathan Runkle

In the wake of a flood of announcements from major food providers, including McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Safeway, Tim Horton's and Compass Group, that they are moving away from inherently cruel gestation crates, The Humane Society of the United States has released gruesome undercover footage shot inside a gestation-crate facility that supplies to Tyson - one of the world's largest meat processors.

The shocking investigation reveals:

Mother pigs confined in tiny metal gestation crates, unable to turn around for nearly their entire lives;

Workers punching and kicking mother pigs and piglets, and whipping piglets around by their hind legs, smashing them into concrete floors, and throwing them high into the air;

Employees throwing piglets' testicles at each other and feeding them back to the mother pigs for "fun";

Pregnant pigs suffering from severe rectal and uterine prolapses without proper veterinary treatment;

Dead and decaying piglets - including some who were mummified - littering the facility, including in piles next to mother pigs in crates; and

Dead pigs left to rot in their gestation crates for days. One dead pig was half-buried in grain from an automatic feeder.

Watch the investigation here:

MFA's investigations into pig factory farms have revealed similarly horrific scenes of blatant animal abuse and needless suffering, including at Iowa Select Farms, the nation's fourth-largest pork producer, and at Pennsylvania's Country View Family Farms. Unfortunately, even the most extreme cruelty documented in these facilities is considered standard and largely acceptable within the pork industry.

More than 100 million pigs are subjected to a lifetime of abuse and neglect each year in the United States. These intelligent and social animals are treated as mere meat-producing machines on factory farms, where their short lives are filled with needless violence, suffering and fear.

But it doesn't have to be this way. Click here to take action on this important issue.

Then, consider removing your financial support from an industry that abuses animals for profit by adopting a humane vegetarian diet. Visit ChooseVeg.com for more information and delicious recipes to get started on your journey toward cruelty-free living. ]]> Honor All Mothers This Mother's Day! tag:www.mfablog.org,2012://2.669 2012-05-08T17:38:00Z 2012-05-08T17:54:51Z

Mother's Day is just around the corner, making this the perfect time to share the gift of compassion for mothers around the world. This year, consider honoring your mother by helping mothers of all species. Farmed animals - like all...

Nathan Runkle

Farmed animals - like all animals - have deep and meaningful relationships with their mothers. For cows, the first few minutes after birth can mark the beginning of a lifelong bond between a mother cow and her calf. Cows carry their young for nine months and they suckle them for nine to twelve months, much like human mothers.

Baby chicks bond so closely with their mothers that scientists call it "imprinting." Mother hens take their chicks under their wings, providing protection and shelter, and chicks spend their first few weeks learning to scratch for food by watching the techniques of their mothers.

Humans aren't the only species to learn from and admire their mothers, but we are the only species to deny other animals everything that is natural and important to them. Animal agriculture deprives hens of nesting material and a private space for the intimate act of laying an egg. Pork producers confine mother sows in crates so small they cannot move without scraping against the rails. Dairy cows are robbed of their calves so that their milk can be sold for human consumption.

Fortunately, we all have the power to help mothers confined on factory farms by adopting a kind and compassionate vegan lifestyle. Visit ChooseVeg.com for delicious recipes to honor all mothers this Mother's Day.

Click here for your free Vegetarian Starter Kit. ]]> Safeway Pledges to Eliminate Cruel Gestation Crates from Supply Chain tag:www.mfablog.org,2012://2.668 2012-05-08T15:43:50Z 2012-05-08T16:00:22Z

Nathan Runkle

On Monday, Safeway Inc., the second-largest grocery chain in the United States, with over 1,600 locations nationwide, announced it will begin formulating plans to have a gestation crate-free supply chain.

Safeway's pledge to abandon the sale of pork from suppliers who cruelly confine sows in narrow gestation crates comes on the heels of similar announcements in recent months by McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, and Compass Group--the largest foodservice company in the world.

We hope that this promising news from Safeway sends a strong signal to the pork industry that confining pigs in crates so small they cannot even turn around or lie down comfortably is blatant animal abuse that will not be tolerated by socially responsible grocers. Major grocery chains like Walmart, Kroger and Costco should quickly follow Safeway's lead in taking a stance against inherently cruel gestation crates.

"Mercy For Animals is cautiously optimistic about Safeway's plan to move toward a gestation crate-free supply chain. The pork industry's use of gestation crates is one of the worst forms of institutionalized animal abuse in existence and we praise Safeway for acknowledging that this cruel system is unsustainable and must be phased out," said MFA's executive director Nathan Runkle. "By speaking out against these inherently cruel crates, Safeway is taking a positive step forward in improving animal welfare. We hope this announcement is more than PR hogwash and that Safeway acts quickly to remove these cruel confinement systems from its supply chain to spare millions of animals horrific misery and suffering."

Last year an MFA undercover investigation into Iowa Select Farms, one of Safeway's pork suppliers, not only found thousands of sows living in narrow metal gestation crates, but also revealed pigs suffering from untreated pressure sores, bleeding uterine prolapses, chronic lameness and severe psychological distress.

While the elimination of gestation crates may reduce animal suffering, the best way to withdraw support of animal abuse altogether is by adopting a kind and compassionate vegetarian diet.

For delicious, cruelty-free recipes, visit ChooseVeg.com. For your free Vegetarian Starter Kit, click here. ]]> MFA Exposes Meat Industry Corruption and Rotten Practices to Global Audience tag:www.mfablog.org,2012://2.667 2012-05-07T19:12:47Z 2012-05-07T19:23:33Z

Nathan Runkle

MFA's Director of Investigations Matt Rice reached millions of people when he was interviewed on the RT Network about animal agribusiness' efforts to keep consumers in the dark about their inhumane practices. The RT Network is the second-most watched foreign news network in the U.S., and broadcasts internationally in over 100 countries.

Matt let viewers know that "undercover investigations by Mercy For Animals and other groups across the country have exposed egregious cruelties, unsafe working conditions, unsanitary conditions at factory farms and slaughterhouses nationwide." And in response, "rather than improve conditions for animals and make things safer for customers, pro-factory farm legislators in some states are working to criminalize these undercover investigations and prevent the public from finding out what's happening behind the closed door of these facilities."

Matt also explained how agribusiness has used its money to influence legislation that is not in the best interest of animals or constituents. "This is an industry that's proven time and time again to be incapable of self regulation, and no other industry has these kinds of protections. You could imagine these laws being passed to protect daycares so that people couldn't expose child abuse or sexual assault at a daycare or a senior home - that wouldn't fly." But unfortunately, the factory farming industry "has so much money and so much power," Matt continued, that "they're able to influence some corrupt politicians to push this type of legislation through, often under the nose of their constituents, but once constituents find out about it, they are outraged; they want more transparency in food production, not less, and they're speaking out against it."

To remove your support from industries that harm animals, people, and the planet, order a free Vegetarian Starter Kit at ChooseVeg.com.]]> Tim Hortons Calls for End of Gestation Crates for Sows tag:www.mfablog.org,2012://2.666 2012-05-07T18:32:16Z 2012-05-07T18:40:04Z

Nathan Runkle

Tim Hortons, the largest publicly traded restaurant chain in Canada, has joined the ranks of McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's in their plans to phase out gestation crates for sows - narrow metal enclosures so small the animals can't even turn around, walk, or lie down comfortably. Momentum is quickly building as the largest food providers in the United States and now Canada are changing their policies one after the other, week after week, in order to keep up with their competitors and meet consumer demands.

"We believe there are better, more humane and sustainable housing systems that can improve the quality of animals' lives," said Paul House, president, CEO, and executive chairman of Tim Hortons Inc.

Confining pregnant pigs in metal gestation crates barely larger than their bodies for nearly their entire lives is one of the worst forms of institutionalized animal abuse in existence. Pigs are highly social animals whose intelligence, ability to communicate, and social structure have been well-documented. During their confinement in gestation crates, sows experience extreme stress, frustration, and depression, which increase with time and with each successive pregnancy.

While Mercy For Animals applauds Tim Hortons for taking this very important step to lessen the suffering of farmed animals, the best thing consumers can do to prevent unnecessary suffering is to adopt a kind and compassionate vegan lifestyle. For delicious recipes and instructional cooking videos, visit ChooseVeg.com. ]]>