Massachusetts Unites for Farmed Animals

Earlier this week, hundreds of people — including animal advocates, non-profit organizations (such as Compassion Over Killing), veterinarians, vet students, and countless other caring individuals attended a public hearing in Boston, Massachusetts to show their support for a bill aiming to protect farmed animals in the state.

The hearing lasted over 12 hours, and it was filled with testimony sending a strong message that H.1456 — “An Act to Prevent Farm Animal Cruelty” — has overwhelming support from Massachusetts residents.

Sadly, standard industry practices on factory farms include keeping animals intensively confined inside tiny cages or crates that thwart most of their natural behaviors, including walking or flapping their wings. This bill would prohibit such cruel and barbaric confinement of farmed animals in the state and require that these animals be provided enough room for them to at least turn around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs. That means that standard veal crates, gestation crates for pregnant pigs, and battery cages for egg-laying hens would not be allowed in Massachusetts.

In addition to those who came out to Tuesday’s hearing, more than 180 Massachusetts veterinarians have signed on to endorse this bill. And it’s also garnered some celebrity support: Casey Affleck wrote a letter to the MA legislature calling for a ban on battery cages, gestations crates, and veal crates and Sir Paul McCartney thanked Massachusetts State Senator Robert Hedlund backstage before a Boston show for his efforts on the bill.

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