Current Press Releases

Farm Sanctuary Applauds the Calif. Legislature for Passing Senate and Assembly Bills to Ban Caged-Hen Egg Sales and Bovine Tail Docking in Nation’s Largest Agriculture State

Organization’s president declares Calif. “a leader in promoting compassion and bringing laws more into line with consumer sentiments” 

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – May 27, 2009 – Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, applauds the California legislature for passing a Senate bill late yesterday to ban the sale of eggs from hens kept in cages so crowded they cannot even spread their wings, as well as an Assembly bill to ban the inhumane agricultural practice of tail docking cows on the state’s dairy farms. The farm animal advocacy organization thanks Assembly Member Jared Huffman, who introduced the California Egg-Laying Hen Welfare Act (AB 1437), and Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez, who introduced the tail docking bill (SB 135).  

Last November, California voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 2, a law that prohibits keeping egg-laying hens in cruel and intensive confinement in California. Yet eggs from hens in other states who are kept in the very same conditions that voters resoundingly rejected could still be sold in California. AB 1437 addresses these concerns.

Tail docking, the amputation of a cow’s tail by applying a tight rubber ring around the appendage until the tissue becomes necrotic and falls off, or is alternatively cut off with shears, is a procedure usually performed without analgesics and causes the animal to suffer acute and lingering pain. Peer-reviewed research from both governmental and academic sources indicates there are no health or safety benefits associated with tail docking, and the procedure has been opposed by numerous professional associations such as the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.

“We congratulate the California legislature for taking steps to pass common-sense legislation that codifies humane values and prevents cruel practices on factory farms,” said Farm Sanctuary President and Co-Founder Gene Baur. “By working to enact a statewide ban on the sale of eggs from caged-hens and banning the pointless tail docking of dairy cows, California has proven itself a leader in promoting compassion and bringing laws more into line with consumer sentiments. We look forward to seeing these bills signed into law.”

Another bill to ban tail docking of dairy cows was introduced earlier this year in the Illinois legislature by Senator Antonio Munoz. While Illinois weighs whether to join California in banning tail docking of dairy cows, countries like the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands have already outlawed the practice. 

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.