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The Petition
To District Attorney Meagan Galligan and Sheriff Michael Schiff of Sullivan County, New York:
I am appalled that the production of the luxury food item foie gras is the result of horrific cruelty inflicted on millions of ducks in the United States. Force feeding ducks abnormally large quantities of food by shoving a long tube down their esophagi and pumping food directly into their stomachs until their livers become diseased and they are slaughtered is horrifying. These birds suffer greatly and some do not even make it to slaughter, instead dying from injuries to their throat, liver failure or rupture, breathing issues or heat stress.
After learning about the apparent ongoing violation of New York’s animal cruelty law by two separate corporations operating in Sullivan County—Hudson Valley Foie Gras and La Belle Farm—I’m joining Animal Outlook to respectfully urge the Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office and the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office to initiate criminal prosecution against these two corporations as well as their owners and officers.
This law states in part that it is a crime to “permit[] any animal to be overdriven, overloaded, tortured, cruelly beaten, or unjustifiably injured, maimed, mutilated or killed.”
Hudson Valley Foie Gras openly admitted in 2019 that they “use a rubber tube about six inches long” to force-feed birds “for a period of 20 days” each. An Animal Outlook investigation undertaken at this facility documented birds crowding into corners and vocalizing in distress as workers approached them with feeding tubes. A worker was also seen forcing a metal tube down a bird’s throat and pumping in food.
Also in 2019, a reporter who took a tour of La Belle Farm wrote, “the worker then grabs the duck by the beak and plunges a six-inch plastic tube down its throat. Within seconds, a compressor shoots down the feed, making the process last seconds. The worker repeats the process with all the ducks in the pen.”
I believe that the actions of both Hudson Valley Foie Gras and La Belle Farm constitute a violation of New York's animal cruelty law. Please bring criminal charges against and prosecute these two corporations as well as their owners and officers. Animal abusers must be held accountable.
The Issue
Foie gras is French for “fatty liver.” In order to produce this so-called “delicacy,” ducks are force fed abnormally large quantities of food by placing a long tube down their esophagi and pumping food directly into their stomachs.
These birds are fed between two and three times daily for about 21 days. This cruel force-feeding induces a serious, and often deadly, medical condition known as hepatic lipidosis – commonly called fatty liver disease – and causes the birds’ livers to become diseased and enlarged. After the period of force feeding, these birds are slaughtered and their livers are used for foie gras. Some birds don’t even make it to slaughter, instead dying from injuries to the throat, liver failure or rupture, breathing issues or heat stress.
Almost all the foie gras produced in the United States comes from two production facilities, Hudson Valley Foie Gras and La Belle Farm, both located in Sullivan County, New York.
In New York state, the animal cruelty law states that it is a crime to “permit[] any animal to be overdriven, overloaded, tortured, cruelly beaten, or unjustifiably injured, maimed, mutilated or killed.”
We believe that Hudson Valley Foie Gras and La Belle Farm are both in violation of this animal cruelty law.
We undertook an undercover investigation in 2008 at Hudson Valley Foie Gras which documented birds retreating into corners and vocalizing in distress as workers approached them with feeding tubes.
In 2012 we jointly filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for violating the federal Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) by allowing adulterated poultry – in the form of foie gras – to be sold to consumers.
They have not responded to this request, which comes after our 2008 undercover investigation documented birds at Hudson Valley Foie Gras retreating into corners and vocalizing in distress as workers approached them with feeding tubes, and after our 2012 lawsuit to stop the sale of foie gras.
In 2021, Animal Outlook asked the Sullivan County District Attorney Meagan Galligan and Sheriff Michael Schiff to prosecute Hudson Valley Foie Gras and La Belle Farm for animal cruelty. They have not responded to this request
Foie gras production has already been banned in a number of countries such as Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Poland and Turkey. A poll conducted in 2019 showed that 81% of New Yorkers wanted foie gras banned due to its cruelty.
Join us in urging the Sullivan County District Attorney and Sheriff to initiate criminal prosecution against Hudson Valley Foie Gras and La Belle Farm. Sign our letter today to hold these corporations as well as their owners accountable for the suffering they inflict on millions of innocent ducks.
Help Bring An End To Foie Gras Cruelty
Join Us In Calling For Criminal Prosecution For Cruelty To Ducks