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Show the Candidates that Farm Animals Matter - Use Your Voice, Keyboard and Pen!

The presidential candidates are discussing many topics; so many, in fact, that it is possible they have forgotten to address animal welfare issues. The heated primary season presents a perfect opportunity to see where candidates position themselves on farm animal matters and get them on record with responses to your questions and concerns. The factory farming industry is one of the biggest contributors to climate change and environmental destruction, treats farm animals with egregious cruelty, and significantly benefits from taxpayer money. For these reasons, candidates should place animal agriculture issues high on their agendas.

Factory farming results in a short, brutal life and a cruel death for approximately 10 billion farm animals every year in the U.S. Animal agriculture is now known to carry a greater share of the responsibility for global climate change than all other forms of transportation combined worldwide. Multi-billion dollar subsidies - paid for with your tax dollars - fund this cruel, polluting industry. From harsh confinement systems for pigs, hens and calves to the force-feeding of ducks to produce foie gras, farm animal issues really count. Do your part by making sure these issues register on the candidates' radar screens as well!

What You Can Do

Do you have your candidate picked out yet? Where does he or she stand on farm animal issues as compared with the other candidates? Find out by following the steps below.

• Click here to find the contact information for each of the presidential candidates.
• Send short e-mails to the candidates, covering one of the following issues. Ask the candidates where they stand on the issue and be sure to provide them with your position as well.
  
  
  • Farm Animal Stewardship Purchasing Act-- The U.S. government uses taxpayer money to purchase food for its employees. Much of this money may now be used for the purchase of products that come from animals raised in extremely cruel confinement systems-such as tiny, wire battery cages, which confine egg laying hens for their entire lives; 2-foot-wide gestation crates, which confine breeding sows; and veal crates, which immobilize calves in darkness for their entire, brief lives. Where do you stand on the Farm Animal Stewardship Purchasing Act?
  
  
  • Downed Animals-- Downers are animals who, due to extreme illness or injury, are unable to stand or walk without assistance. These animals are often beaten, shocked with electric prods and dragged by tractors to areas where they are left to languish, suffer and die. Due to the potential human health and safety risks associated with mad cow disease, the USDA has made permanent a ban on the slaughter of most downed cattle for human consumption; however, no other species are included in this ban. Where do you stand on the Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act?
  
  
  • Horse Slaughter-- The majority of Americans do not eat horse meat, but horses are slaughtered in the U.S. every year for export to France, Belgium and Japan. The transport and slaughter of horses, like that endured by most farm animals, is far from humane. Do you support or oppose federal legislation to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption?

Thank you for taking action to ensure that the animals are not forgotten!