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Animal Protection Organizations Rescue More Than 1,000 Chickens in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina

Rescuers from The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Farm Sanctuary, and Animal Place Save Chickens Left to Die or Be Bulldozed into Mass Graves

WASHINGTON - September 12, 2005 - In the midst of rescuing thousands of dogs, cats and horses in Louisiana and Mississippi, more than 1,000 chickens from a poultry confinement operation ravaged by Hurricane Katrina are on their way to sanctuaries after The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Farm Sanctuary and Animal Place rescued them over the weekend.
Animal rescuers found 21 chickens in a deep mass grave, unable to escape. The property included five warehouse-type sheds, each confining tens of thousands of birds. A tornado spawned by the hurricane completely destroyed one of the sheds and severely damaged two others. The producer, who told the animal protection groups that he raises broiler chickens for Tyson Foods, collected 15,000 of the birds from the damaged sheds and relocated them into the already overcrowded remaining two sheds.

According to Miyun Park, director of Farm Animal Welfare for The Humane Society of the United States, and a member of the rescue team, "When power systems fail, animals trapped by the thousands in intensive confinement facilities are particularly vulnerable, put at risk by stifling summer heat, toxic ammonia, and limited or inaccessible food and water."

"We saw a massive open grave containing thousands of dead chickens crawling with maggots. Shockingly, 21 were still alive, huddled alive in the corner of the pit," said Kate Walker of Farm Sanctuary, who was part of the rescue efforts.

Kim Sturla, co-founder of Animal Place, was also one of the rescuers: "The contract grower who let us rescue these birds felt it would be inhumane to cram even more birds into the remaining sheds, as they were already extremely overcrowded. He allowed us to save as many as we could before they died."
Millions of farm animals have died and untold thousands remain in peril in the states ravaged by Katrina. According to the latest agricultural census, Louisiana and Mississippi together annually slaughter over a million pigs, a half million cattle and nearly one billion chickens raised for both meat and eggs. On any one day, there are hundreds of thousands of pigs and nearly 200 million birds locked in warehouses in these two states alone.

The rescued birds are being transported to Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Animal Place in Vacaville, Calif., two of their new adoptive homes where they will live out their full natural lives.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization representing more than nine million members and constituents. The nonprofit organization is a mainstream voice for animals, with active programs in companion animals and equine protection, disaster preparedness and response, wildlife and habitat protection, animals in research and farm animal welfare. The HSUS protects all animals through education, investigation, litigation, legislation, advocacy, and field work. The group is based in Washington and has numerous field representatives across the country. Online at www.hsus.org.

Animal Place, founded in 1989, is a nonprofit sanctuary for abused and discarded farmed animals. It is the only urban sanctuary located just a hour from San Francisco. Animal Place is also a humane education center that works to promote a cruelty-free lifestyle, providing a variety of educational resources for both children and adults that teach kindness and compassion for all creatures, and implementing nationwide educational programs. Online at www.animalplace.org.

About Farm Sanctuary
Farm Sanctuary is the nation's leading farm animal protection organization. Since incorporating in 1986, Farm Sanctuary has worked to expose and stop cruel practices of the "food animal" industry through research and investigations, legal and institutional reforms, public awareness projects, youth education, and direct rescue and refuge efforts. Farm Sanctuary shelters in Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Orland, Calif., provide lifelong care for hundreds of rescued animals, who have become ambassadors for farm animals everywhere by educating visitors about the realities of factory farming. Additional information can be found at www.farmsanctuary.org or by calling 607-583-2225.