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 Dear friend of farm animals,
Every day, in every corner of the U.S., pigs and other farm animals too sick, injured or weak to stand or walk on their own are being dragged, beaten, pushed with forklifts, or shocked with electric prods – by any means, no matter how cruel – to get them onto slaughterhouse kill floors. Others are simply being cast aside and left to suffer for hours or days without food, water or veterinary care, and many will die from this neglect.
Called “downers,” these animals – many of whom are the unwitting victims of factory farm stresses and irresponsible transportation methods – endure horrors that you and I can only scarcely imagine. And, not only is this abuse happening right now, but it is happening much more than you might think. It doesn’t have to be this way.
Since 1986, when I pulled a downer sheep named Hilda from a stockyard dead pile and restored her to health, Farm Sanctuary has made great strides in the fight against this egregious form of abuse through our No Downers Campaign, including the first ever U.S. downed animal protection laws and the first successful conviction of a stockyard for downed animal cruelty.
Most recently, our work led to President Barack Obama’s move to address downed animal abuse by announcing a new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) rule that bans the slaughter of cattle who become downed at any time. But while this is a step in the right direction, downed pigs and other farm animals are still suffering.
Seven years ago Congress told the USDA to issue regulations to prevent the abuse of downed pigs and other animals, but the agency has failed to do so. As a result, downer pigs – anywhere from 100,000 to more than 900,000 a year according to industry estimates – are subjected to intolerable cruelty. For the sake of these animals, isn’t it time for a change? I say, “YES it is!”
With recent national media attention on this issue, we’ve reached a critical point for creating meaningful change for downed pigs and other suffering animals, and we must seize this opportunity while we still have it. Will you help by signing our Petition for the Pigs?
PLEASE, TAKE ACTION NOW
Please join us today in asking Obama to make good on his pledge to be mindful of animal cruelty by demanding that the USDA extend legal protections to downed pigs and other farm animals too. Let him know that you won’t stand for anything less than an end to the marketing and slaughter of all downed animals now!
And, equally important, once you have done that, please tell at least five friends, co-workers or family members about this petition and ask them to sign too. After all, every new name on our Petition for the Pigs means a stronger voice for suffering animals, so please forward this e-mail as widely as you possibly can.
We cannot do this without you, and I can’t thank you enough for taking action today.
 For all animals who deserve better,
Gene Baur
President & Co-founder
Farm Sanctuary
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