ASPCA Supports California Proposition 2

NEW YORK, October 28, 2008- The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) - an active supporter of Proposition 2 - today urges California voters to "Vote Yes" on November 4 for California's Standards for Confining Farm Animals Initiative, which will put a stop to some of the worst abuses in factory farming in the state of California. 
 
"The ASPCA firmly believes that all animals are entitled to protection from distress and suffering during their lives and at the time of their deaths," said ASPCA President & CEO Ed Sayres. "Together, with the Humane Society of the United States and a multitude of other animal welfare organizations, we will be able to exact a significant change in the methods being used in California farming."

Proposition 2, which will appear along with the presidential ballot in California on November 4, would ban the practice of confining veal calves, breeding pigs and egg-laying hens in cages and crates so small that they cannot turn around, lie down, stand up or fully extend their limbs.

The legislation is scheduled to go into effect by 2015, providing ample time for factory farmers using confinement methods to transition to more humane practices. Similar laws have been passed in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Oregon and throughout the European Union’s 27 member countries.

Proposition 2 is supported by over 100 animal protection groups, nearly 700 California veterinarians, hundreds of California farmers and business owners, and U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer.

"This legislation will reinforce humane farming methods, thereby creating a safer environment for animals and farmers alike," added Jill Buckley, the ASPCA’s Senior Director of Government Relations. "All animals, including those raised for food, deserve to be treated humanely."