The ASPCA® Announces Increased Support of Humane Farm Animal Care And Its Certified Humane Raised and Handled® Label

NEW YORK, February 15, 2007—The ASPCA® (American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today announced that it has increased its support of the Virginia-based non-profit organization Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC), which administers the “Certified Humane Raised and Handled®” label for products made from farm animals. In 2007, the ASPCA will grant HFAC $400,000 towards its efforts to improve life for farm animals, and hopes this will encourage other organizations and the public to recognize and contribute to this extremely worthy cause that gives consumers a humane choice in the marketplace.

Producers who adhere to HFAC standards, and who can thus display the “Certified Humane Raised and Handled®” label on their products, are certified to have humanely treated their animals at every stage in the food production process, including:

• Allowing animals to engage in their natural behaviors
• Raising animals with sufficient space, shelter and gentle handling to limit stress
• Making sure they have ample fresh water and a healthy diet without added antibiotics or hormones.

“Though the ASPCA’s work focuses primarily on companion animals, the welfare and humane treatment of farm animals is extremely important to us as well,” said ASPCA President & CEO Ed Sayres.  “While there are several food label programs in the marketplace, we support Certified Humane because it is the only nationally-recognized certification process for food products that is also validated by the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). We believe this is the most viable way of providing for the welfare of animals that are raised to take their place in the food production process—animals that must be part of our overall efforts to become a humane community.”

“I am honored by the continued faith and support the ASPCA has placed in us,” said Adele Douglass, executive director of Humane Farm Animal Care. “In 2003, our first year of operation, we improved the lives of 140,000 farm animals. Since then, we have grown exponentially and expect, once we tally our 2006 numbers, to have improved conditions for almost 22 million animals since our inception. The ASPCA’s increased support will enable us to stay on target with our growth projections, and bring the day, when all farm animals are treated humanely, one step closer.”