In a victory for farmed animals everywhere, the U.S. Court
of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the constitutionality of California’s
Proposition 2—a hugely successful ballot measure that prohibits the cruel
confinement of egg-laying hens, mother pigs, and veal calves.
Also known as the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act,
Prop 2 took effect on January 1, 2015. The modest yet important law requires
that California’s farmed animals be given enough space to stretch their limbs,
lie down comfortably, and fully turn around.
A federal district court previously dismissed a challenge to Prop 2 on constitutional grounds by a California egg farmer. Today, the federal appeals court affirmed that dismissal and upheld Prop 2’s validity under the constitution.
Countless Mercy For Animals investigations have revealed the
immense suffering of animals who spend their lives confined in tiny cages,
unable to move or express any natural behaviors. Just before voters cast their
ballots on Prop 2, MFA released investigations of two of California’s
largest egg factory farms,
documenting the horrific treatment of egg-laying hens who endure lives filled
with misery and deprivation in filthy wire battery cages.
Watch hidden-camera footage from an MFA investigation inside a California battery-cage egg farm below.
Although today’s legal victory is a great step forward in
our efforts to reduce the suffering of millions of farmed animals, the most
effective way for consumers to prevent the needless cruelty and suffering inflicted
on farmed animals nationwide is to adopting a healthy and humane plant-based
diet.