poultry industry

Federal Court Allows Case Against North Carolina Ag-Gag Law to Proceed

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This week, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit overturned the district court’s ruling dismissing a challenge to North Carolina’s ag-gag law. This dangerous law, targeting undercover investigations, first came into effect in January of 2016 after the state legislature overrode a veto by then Governor Pat McCrory. Ag-gag laws are designed to protect factory farms and …

COK Rally at USDA: Investigator Delivers 250K Signatures Against High-Speed Slaughter

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Today, Compassion Over Killing (COK) brought media and the voices of over a quarter million people to the doorstep of the US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) in the nation’s capital, in a rally against the expansion of the federal agency’s dangerous high-speed pig slaughter program. The New Swine Slaughter Inspection System (NSIS) would allow slaughterhouses to further increase their already …

Investigator’s Eye-Opening Letter in Tyson’s Hometown Paper Exposes Gruesome Reality for Birds

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Today, on the eve of Tyson’s annual shareholder meeting in Springdale, Arkansas, an eye-opening letter from a Compassion Over Killing investigator has been printed in Tyson’s hometown paper, revealing a hidden, gruesome reality that birds face on Tyson-contract farms. Appearing in the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette this morning, the letter is penned by a COK undercover investigator who witnessed violent abuse and …

Iowa Ag-Gag Law Challenged in Court

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On the heels of triumphant news for animals, that Utah’s ag-gag law, struck down by a federal judge as unconstitutional, is officially dead, a similar law in Iowa is now being challenged in court by animal protection groups. As organizations like Compassion Over Killing have shown time and again, undercover investigations are the most vital tool we have to shed light …

Win for Ducks: Federal Court Reinstates California’s Foie Gras Ban!

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In a victory for ducks and geese, today’s unanimous 3-0 decision from the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals reenacts California’s ban on cruel foie gras! The court’s powerful decision states, “As societal values change, so too do our notions of acceptable food products…California, like a growing number of countries around the world, has concluded that force-fed foie gras is…repugnant.” Translated as …

Kansas Residents Protesting Tyson Chicken Plant

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The nation’s largest chicken producer, Tyson Foods, is set to construct a $320 million chicken processing plant in the town of Tonganoxie, Kansas. And residents are not happy. According to the Associated Press, this $320 million plant, on which construction will begin this Fall, will “process” a staggering 1.25 million birds every week. Tyson plans to ultimately build a chicken …

Utah’s Ag-Gag Law, Declared Unconstitutional, Won’t Be Appealed!

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In July 2017, a federal judge declared Utah’s dangerous “ag-gag” law unconstitutional, for violating the First Amendment, calling the law “perfectly tailored toward … preventing undercover investigators from exposing abuses at agricultural facilities.” Now comes another stunning victory for farmed animals, as the ruling striking down this dangerous law won’t be appealed by the state Attorney General’s Office. Utah’s ag-gag law …

VICTORY: COK Video of Cruelty to Chickens Prompts Groundbreaking Charges & Convictions

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Compassion Over Killing’s gut-wrenching investigation of Tyson Foods, the nation’s largest chicken producer, prompted groundbreaking firsts in the protection of broiler chickens. This eye-opening video provided the first investigative look behind the closed doors of broiler breeder factory farms. Our investigator documented for the first time on hidden-camera the brutal practice of using “nose bones,” stabbing a dull plastic rod through …

Fun Facts You Probably Don’t Know About Pigs

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Pigs are smart and social animals, but as Animal Outlook investigations have revealed, pigs used for meat endure horrific suffering on factory farms. Maybe you’ve recently watched “Okja,” and want to learn more about real-life pigs and other farmed animals! But maybe you’ve never met a pig at a sanctuary or don’t have a buddy like Esther the Wonder Pig …