Every year, nearly one million chickens are boiled alive in U.S. slaughterhouses when they are dropped—sometimes fully conscious—into tanks of scalding hot water. Countless more have their legs broken as they’re jammed into shackles on the slaughter line, arrive at the slaughterhouse frozen to their cages, are run over with forklifts, or are thrown alive into trash bins.

That’s why we are asking you to join Farm Sanctuary in speaking out against these hideous abuses in slaughterhouses across the country. Please sign our petition urging U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to establish humane handling regulations to protect the over 9 billion turkeys, ducks, chickens, and other birds who are killed in the U.S. every year.

Turkeys, chickens, ducks, and other birds account for 98 percent of all farm animals exploited and slaughtered on America’s farms. But the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has refused to issue regulations to protect them.

The USDA has left these birds at the mercy of an industry that sees them as mere production units. And so they endure gruesome deaths—including suffocation inside crude gas chambers—that would be illegal if the animals were dogs, cats, or other farm animals.

Aria was meant to be one of those victims. But this plucky hen miraculously survived being gassed, and is now receiving the individualized care she needs at our Southern California shelter. Aria has a bright future ahead in which she will always be safe, loved, and well cared for at Farm Sanctuary—all because of caring supporters like you.

With your generous support, Farm Sanctuary not only rescues and shelters abused farm animals—we also mobilize passionate animal lovers like you to demand an end to the terrible cruelty taking place across the country. In fact, we recently helped win landmark bans on foie gras production in New York City, and state-wide in California. This proves what we can achieve when we fight together for better conditions for birds throughout the course of their lives!

But until the USDA takes action to protect the 9.2 billion chickens, turkeys, and other birds who are killed in the U.S. every year … this fight isn’t over!

Add your voice to help us force action to protect birds classified as poultry.

More than a decade ago, the USDA proclaimed that bird welfare was a “high priority.” But since that time, the agency has not produced a single regulation to stop the rampant and abhorrent abuse of birds in slaughterhouses across the country.

That’s why we are asking you to help Farm Sanctuary end this injustice!

Sign Farm Sanctuary’s petition demanding the USDA step up its oversight of factory farms and slaughterhouses and finally extend humane protections to chickens, turkeys, and other birds.

Thank you for refusing to be silent about factory farm cruelty.

Header photo credit: Jo-Anne McArthur