Earlier today, approximately
70 MFA members and supporters descended upon the North Carolina state Capitol
to urge Governor
Pat McCrory to veto the state’s
controversial ag-gag bill.
Blindfolded and gagged advocates held signs and
banners depicting graphic images of animals suffering on factory farms and
reading: “Veto Ag-Gag, “North
Carolina: Safe Haven for Animal Abuse, and “Ag-Gag: Bad for Consumers, Animals
and Food Safety.
The bill, aimed at preventing and intimidating
farm workers from documenting and exposing acts of cruelty to animals—an effort
championed by North Carolina’s factory farming interests—has passed the legislature
and the clock is now ticking for Governor McCrory to take action. MFA is urging
the governor to veto this dangerous and un-American legislation.
Designed to shield animal abusers from public
scrutiny, this dangerous bill would punish those who dare to expose cruelty to
farmed animals and threatens consumers’ right to know where their food comes
from.
Numerous
Mercy For Animals undercover investigations in North Carolina have revealed
that horrific animal cruelty and neglect run rampant at some of the state’s
largest factory farms, hatcheries, and slaughterhouses. A 2011 Mercy For
Animals investigation at a factory farm operated by Butterball—the world’s
largest turkey producer—exposed workers beating, kicking, throwing, and
dragging animals and led to the criminal convictions of five Butterball
workers, including the first-ever felony conviction for cruelty to
factory-farmed poultry in U.S. history. This and other investigations would not
have been possible if the ag-gag bill had been in place.
Watch
the video here:
A
recent poll conducted by Lake Research Partners shows that 74 percent of North
Carolina voters support undercover investigations of farms by animal welfare
organizations. And nearly 3 to 1, North Carolina citizens oppose efforts to
impede these investigations.
North
Carolina’s ag-gag bill is a shameful attempt by the meat industry to prevent
consumers from seeing how animals are confined, mutilated, beaten, and
neglected on factory farms If signed into law, this ag-gag bill will create a
safe haven for animal abuse and other criminal activity on North Carolina’s
factory farms.
Take action now! Please call Governor
McCrory at (919) 814-2050 Option 3, and politely urge him to veto the ag-gag
bill.
For
more information, please visit NoAgGag.com.