Can you stand another year-end list?
Below are what
we believe were the ten biggest news stories of 2011 for animal rights
initiatives. While some of these generated massive amounts of ink and airtime,
a few were important stories that flew under the radar. A few have importance
to the animal rights community, while others are more notable for their impact
on the animal-eating/using/wearing public.
(Yes, we know
that top 10 lists are generally in “countdown” form from tenth place to first
place. However, we’ve started with number one, in case readers get bored before
they get to the end.)
1. Mercy For
Animals’ undercover
investigation into E6 Cattle Co. in Hart, Texas, received so much press and
public attention it actually impacted the market price of cattle futures. One
of the nation’s best investigators gained employment at E6, where he observed
and recorded workers bashing in the skulls of calves with hammers and pickaxes,
among other horrors. (The facility specializes in raising female calves until
they are old enough to be impregnated and turned into milk machines.) The
American Veterinary Medical Association, not known for opposing agribusiness,
even issued a statement condemning E6’s behavior. For a short time, the
undercover video was banned by YouTube – a bad PR move on their part – and
news of the ban reached the sizable audience of consumer tech websites, so the
video received even more views. For many Americans, watching this footage was
the first time they had ever considered the cruelty inherent in dairy products.
2. West Hollywood became the first fur-free city in the U.S. and one of
only a handful in the world. This small independent city, surrounded on all
sides by Los Angeles like Vatican City is by Rome, voted in September to ban the sale of fur
apparel after a time interval to allow retailers to phase out inventory. “Fur Free WeHo” received national media
attention. Although largely a symbolic gesture in terms of its impact on
fur-bearing animals, the legislation drafted will serve as a model for other
communities. Similar campaigns are already underway.
3. Congress
introduced the Traveling
Exotic Animal Protection Act (TEAPA), now HR 3359, which would effectively
shut down traveling circuses such as Ringling Bros. in the U.S. Animal Defenders International led
the charge after successful circus bans in other countries, with assistance
from experts from the Performing Animal Welfare Society, exotic animal
veterinarian Dr. Mel Richardson, philanthropist Bob Barker, and
actress/activist Jorja Fox, all of whom testified before Capitol Hill staffers
in early November. The announcement of the bill received huge media coverage
and offered a platform for ADI to discuss the ethics of animal circuses.
4. Beagle Freedom Project’s rescue
of 40 beagles from an animal testing laboratory in Spain (soon joined by three
more) was the third rescue by the group. Coverage on NBC Nightly News with
Brian Williams two nights in a row, as well as the Today Show, catapulted the
group to national and international attention. In the process, people worldwide
learned for the first time about the horrors of animal testing, and were
motivated to shop cruelty-free. The video of BFP’s second rescue in June of this year racked up over three million YouTube views because of the
interest in the rescue.
5. Another
investigation by Mercy For Animals into Sparboe
Egg, the fourth largest egg producer and a key supplier to McDonald’s,
resulted in what was undoubtedly the biggest economic hit to a factory farm in
history when the fast-food chain, and several other major retail customers, cut
ties with Sparboe. To add insult to injury, MFA filed a complaint with the U.S.
Federal Trade Commission for Sparboe’s false and misleading claims about its
animal care standards.
6. Stop Animal
Exploitation Now released a comprehensive
report on the use of non-human primates in federally regulated animal
testing labs in October. The report, based on USDA documentation, included the
little-known “exemptions” to welfare laws that mean animals can be deprived of
enrichment, food, and water; that permit severe confinement; that deny
anesthesia for procedures; and that even allow cages to go weeks without
cleaning. Although this story did not receive nearly enough attention from news
media, SAEN’s research into the issue was validated when in December the
National Institutes of Health announced that it would temporarily stop funding
chimpanzee research, and Harvard University’s primate lab was found committing
five violations of the Animal Welfare Act.
7. Compassion Over Killing announced a class-action lawsuit
on behalf of consumers alleging a price-fixing scheme by dairy industry
trade groups representing 70 percent of the market. The suit relies on the
common practice of “dairy herd retirement” in which cows are killed, thus
reducing dairy supplies and inflating prices. This is another story that
received little major media attention, and we hope that developments in the
case will allow it to come into the spotlight in 2012.
8. HSUS
announced it would end state-based campaigns for egg-laying hens in favor of
working with agribusiness trade group United Egg Producers, and UEP agreed to
dump battery cages in 18 years and replace them with “enriched colony cages”
featuring tiny perches and plastic strips for nesting. The agreement struck a
blow to animal rights organizations such as United
Poultry Concerns, the leading advocacy group for hens, who said
“Unfortunately, victories for organizations do not necessarily translate into victory
for animals, and this is how we view the current deal. We dissent from the view
that HSUS’s agreement with United Egg Producers is ‘a step in the right
direction.’ We will continue to educate our members and the public to
understand that the only true way to animal welfare – to animals faring well – lies in eliminating the demand for
animal products in favor of vegan food.”
9. The
11-minute video “Farm to Fridge,” narrated by actor James Cromwell, hit with a
bang in Spring 2011. The compilation of footage included pigs, egg-laying hens,
chickens, turkeys, dairy cows, beef cows, and fish. It was a wake-up call for
omnivores all over the world, and was viewed online by millions. Mercy For
Animals also sponsored a 42-city,
12,000-mile tour where “Farm to Fridge” was shown on giant TV screens on a
specially designed truck that parked in conspicuous areas like shopping and
dining districts. The tour earned massive press coverage in each city, from TV
news to college papers and everything in between. The success of the tour and
of “Farm to Fridge” has inspired numerous “pay per view” events where people
are offered a few dollars to watch a video about where their food comes from.
10. Humane
Research Council released its research report Humane Trends, after compiling years of
data across 25 different categories to evaluate the status of animal protection
in the U.S. Although not a top public or media story by any means, the
information, like all HRC’s work, is illuminating and of value to
activists. Incidentally, the U.S. received a score of 34 out of a possible 100
for its treatment of animals based on data on companion animals, farm animals,
wildlife, and animals used in science and entertainment. HRC also released an
illuminating report on all USDA food recalls of animal products from
2006-2010 that should be of great interest to food safety advocates.
Evolotus
was proud to play a role in earning media coverage for clients such as Mercy
For Animals, Animal Defenders International, Beagle Freedom Project and
Fur-Free West Hollywood in 2011.
