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End Cruel Confinement Nationwide: Enact a Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Law

The Problem
Farm animals in the U.S. are subjected to intensive confinement and crowded together so tightly that they cannot even turn around or stretch their limbs.

Gestation Crates
The majority of sows bred to provide piglets to the pork industry spend most of their lives inside gestation crates, 2-foot-wide metal enclosures that severely restrict the animals' movement and thwart their natural behaviors. Find out more about the plight of pigs on factory farms.

Battery Cages
Egg-laying hens are typically crowded together into tiny cages, where each bird is given an area smaller than an 8½-by-11-inch sheet of paper on which to live. The hens can barely move and cannot walk or even stretch their wings. Find out more about the plight of egg-laying hens in battery cages.

Veal Crates
Crated veal calves are normally confined inside 2-foot-wide enclosures for their entire lives. Usually chained by their necks to the front of the stall, these animals cannot even turn around, stretch their limbs, or lie down comfortably. Find out more about the plight of calves on veal farms.  

The Solution
Farm Sanctuary urges states, counties and cities across the nation to ban this type of cruelty, with local and state-wide laws requiring enough space to give chickens, pigs and calves room to at least turn around, stand up, lie down, and spread their limbs.

In November 2008, the voters of California passed Proposition 2, banning veal crates, battery cages and gestation crates in their state by 2015. In an unprecedented show of public support for protecting farm animals, more than eight million voters spoke out against this cruelty, and now the time is right for your community to join them. Read more about California’s successful ballot initiative.

How You Can Help
Ask lawmakers in your community to sponsor a bill or ordinance ending cruel confinement practices.

Some states have already passed laws banning cruel confinement systems. If you live in one of those states, please ensure that your correspondence with legislators reflects this information:

• Arizona residents: A ballot measure to ban gestation crates and veal crates passed in 2006. Ask your legislators to ban battery cages as well.
• California residents: A ballot measure to ban battery cages, gestation crates and veal crates passed in 2008. Ask your legislators to expand the reach of the ban by prohibiting the sale of animal products from out-of-state producers who don’t meet California’s standards.
• Colorado residents: The legislature passed legislation to prohibit the use of veal crates and gestation crates in 2008. Ask your legislators to ban battery cages as well.
• Florida residents: Gestation crates were banned through a ballot measure in 2002. Ask your legislators to ban veal crates and battery cages as well.
• Maine residents: The legislature passed legislation to prohibit the use of gestation crates and veal crates in 2009. Ask your legislators to ban battery cages as well.
• Michigan residents: The legislature passed legislation to prohibit the use of battery cages, gestation crates and veal crates in 2009. Ask your legislators to expand the reach of the ban by prohibiting the sale of animal products from out-of-state producers who don’t meet California’s standards.
• Oregon residents: The legislature passed legislation to prohibit the use of gestation crates in 2007. Ask your legislators to ban veal crates and battery cages as well.