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Lobby for the Animals!
Enacting state legislation is one of the most effective ways to create long-lasting, meaningful changes for animals. While bills to protect farm animals were rare just 10 years ago, today it is almost commonplace. In 2007 alone over 25 bills were introduced in 18 states to protect farm animals. And the momentum is building. In the past few years in the U.S., we have seen tremendous strides for farm animals, with the passage of bills to ban gestation crates, foie gras production and other factory-farm cruelties in various states.
This is a little known secret: It is at the state level where the most policy change for farm animals can happen. Most state legislators are accessible to their constituents, and much of the time advocates can meet directly with their state representative(s) and state senator. And, you don’t have to be a slick, high-paid lobbyist! The most powerful voice for the animals is YOU. Many, if not most, state bills that pass into law each year are the results of an active, concerned advocate reaching out to his or her state legislator. A few words from you to your state legislator can make a dramatic difference for animals, and help make 2008 a banner year for farm animal protection.
As 2007 winds to a close, now is the time to start thinking about how you can best help farm animals in 2008. While Farm Sanctuary will be pushing hard in 2008 to educate legislators about the cruelties of factory farming, your legislators need to hear from YOU about what farm animal issues are important to you.
You Can Help!
Please write, call or visit your state legislators and ask them to strongly support legislation to help protect farm animals in your state. If your state does not yet have any farm animal legislation pending, urge your legislator to introduce legislation in 2008 on any of the following issues:
- Ban the sale and production of notoriously cruel foie gras
- Help intensively confined farm animals such as laying hens, veal calves or pregnant sows by banning intensive confinement systems
- Veal
- Laying Hens
- Gestation crates
- Help Downed Animals
Farm Sanctuary has model bill text for each of the above issues, so please contact us for help in assembling materials to present to your legislators.
Find out who your state legislators are by visiting www.congress.org and putting your zip code in the box on the left.