Dear Criss,

Gestation crates like the one above are being phased out by Smithfield Foods

First, CareerBuilder announced it will end its abusive primate ads. Then POM agreed to stop funding useless experiments on animals. Now, to complete PETA’s "hat trick" of major accomplishments for animals this week, Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork producer, has announced that it will phase out gestation crates in most of its U.S. operations within 10 years. PETA will encourage Smithfield to phase out gestation crates sooner and from all its suppliers.

Gestation crates are tiny cages made of metal and cement. These horrible cages are so small that the mother pigs are unable to turn around or take more than a step forward or backward. Pigs are friendly, intelligent animals; in gestation crates, they go insane from the complete denial of social and mental stimulation, and their bones and muscles waste away from lack of use. Learn more about what the meat industry does to pigs.

This move will reduce the enormous suffering of millions of mother pigs and is bound to spell the end of gestation crates. Smithfield credits its major customers—including McDonald’s, Burger King, Safeway, and others—for convincing it to take this step. As you know, PETA has been working with these corporations for almost 10 years, encouraging them to push their suppliers to stop using gestation crates. PETA has also been pushing Smithfield directly for years, including by attending the company’s annual meetings and talking with executives about the horrible cruelty of gestation crates.

To read more about this extremely exciting victory for animals, click here.

 
Yours truly,

Ingrid E. Newkirk
President