Proposition 12 has earned enough signatures to appear on California’s Nov. 6 ballot but, not surprisingly, the measure (aka the Farm Animal Confinement Initiative) is already hotly debated. Proposed animal-related legislation always raises hackles, but this time it’s particularly interesting since the nation’s largest, most influential animal advocacy organizations are fighting each other (PHS/SPCA is not an affiliate of, nor receives any funding from, any of the large organizations with national-sounding names).
Back in 2008, Proposition 2 was passed by the voters, banning the confinement of pregnant pigs, calves raised for veal and egg-laying chickens in a manner that did not allow them to turn around, lie down, stand up and fully extend their limbs. Most voters understood this was about animal welfare, not some vegetarian agenda. However, Prop. 2 did not provide specifics for acceptable caging. Prop. 12 aims to correct that, and there’s the controversy.
For example, Prop. 12 would require (effective 2020) confining egg-laying hens to cages with no less than 1 square foot usable floor space per bird. Humane Society of U.S. (HSUS) and ASPCA, among others, argue 1 foot is a minimum for humane care, while PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and Humane Farming Association, among others, contend that simply normalizes and perpetuates the suffering of millions of birds throughout California. This debate makes strange bedfellows of PETA and groups like the National Pork Producers Council on one side, HSUS and United Egg Producers on the other. Why don’t the animal advocates agree?
“One square foot” per bird equals 144 square inches (12x12), an increase over the 116 inches set by the state in 2013. The 8x11 paper in your printer is just under 100 inches. Picture even a dead bird from the grocery on something not much bigger than that, and it’s obvious that what’s being proposed as minimally humane is abysmally small for the life of an animal. At its core, the argument is whether a small step is better than nothing versus small steps are simply not worth taking. A voter initiative, you get to decide in November.
Ken White is the president of the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA.
Proposition 12 is an excellent step in the right direction for farmed animals. In industry-standard factory farms, these animals are currently suffering every moment of their lives in cages so small they can't even turn around or spread their wings. Prop 12 seems to be a great way to increase their welfare standards by providing them more space and allowing them to act on several natural behaviors they currently can't do within their tiny cages.
The "Humane Farming Association" is an organization that seems to be sorely misguided. They have never passed any large-scale legislation protecting farmed animals, but love making lots of noise in opposition of organizations that have, such as The Humane Society of the United States. Their current tactics could lead to hundreds of millions of animals needlessly suffering every moment of their lives.
PETA seems to be taking the purist position of only advocating for veganism, and opposing anything else. I may be a vegan, but I also understand that Prop 12 would be a positive change for potentially hundreds of millions of animals that would have otherwise had to suffer every moment of their lives within factory farms needlessly.
Proposition 12 is a betrayal of farm animals and California voters. This is not at all about whether “a small step is better than nothing.” This is about taking a giant step in the wrong direction.
Prop 12 is about LEGALIZING egg factory cages until, at the very least, the year 2022 – even though Californian’s already voted 10 years ago that those cages should be banned by 2015!
Prop 12 was co-written by United Egg Producers (the egg-industry’s own trade organization), is actively supported by Central Valley Eggs (a billion-dollar factory farm operation), and would forever confine hens inside massive factory farms that restrict hens to only one square foot floor space per bird.
There is no credible animal organization anywhere that supports the continued use of egg-factory cages in California with a space allotment of only one square foot per hen.
Find out why Californians Against Cruelty, Cages, and Fraud, the Humane Farming Association (HFA), Friends of Animals (FoA), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and many others are strongly opposed to this rotten egg initiative. Please visit NoOnProposition12.org
The same group that said California hens would be cage free by 2015, that Michael Vick would be a “good pet owner,” that embraces SeaWorld, and lost millions of dollars in a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act lawsuit, is back. HSUS is again promising to ban egg-industry cages, even though it spent the last decade claiming that it already did! And they’re attacking whistle-blowers. When women mobilized against the toxic culture at HSUS, it stemmed from multiple allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct against Proposition 12’s chief architect, now former CEO, Wayne Pacelle. HSUS’s response was to question the women’s integrity. That tactic is now being used against conscientious animal advocates opposed to Proposition 12. The inescapable reality is this: If not for HSUS’s malpractice, California hens would be cage-free at this very moment. Let’s not fall for the same trick -- twice. Vote NO on Prop 12.
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(3) comments
Proposition 12 is an excellent step in the right direction for farmed animals. In industry-standard factory farms, these animals are currently suffering every moment of their lives in cages so small they can't even turn around or spread their wings. Prop 12 seems to be a great way to increase their welfare standards by providing them more space and allowing them to act on several natural behaviors they currently can't do within their tiny cages.
The "Humane Farming Association" is an organization that seems to be sorely misguided. They have never passed any large-scale legislation protecting farmed animals, but love making lots of noise in opposition of organizations that have, such as The Humane Society of the United States. Their current tactics could lead to hundreds of millions of animals needlessly suffering every moment of their lives.
PETA seems to be taking the purist position of only advocating for veganism, and opposing anything else. I may be a vegan, but I also understand that Prop 12 would be a positive change for potentially hundreds of millions of animals that would have otherwise had to suffer every moment of their lives within factory farms needlessly.
Proposition 12 is a betrayal of farm animals and California voters. This is not at all about whether “a small step is better than nothing.” This is about taking a giant step in the wrong direction.
Prop 12 is about LEGALIZING egg factory cages until, at the very least, the year 2022 – even though Californian’s already voted 10 years ago that those cages should be banned by 2015!
Prop 12 was co-written by United Egg Producers (the egg-industry’s own trade organization), is actively supported by Central Valley Eggs (a billion-dollar factory farm operation), and would forever confine hens inside massive factory farms that restrict hens to only one square foot floor space per bird.
There is no credible animal organization anywhere that supports the continued use of egg-factory cages in California with a space allotment of only one square foot per hen.
Find out why Californians Against Cruelty, Cages, and Fraud, the Humane Farming Association (HFA), Friends of Animals (FoA), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and many others are strongly opposed to this rotten egg initiative. Please visit NoOnProposition12.org
The same group that said California hens would be cage free by 2015, that Michael Vick would be a “good pet owner,” that embraces SeaWorld, and lost millions of dollars in a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act lawsuit, is back.
HSUS is again promising to ban egg-industry cages, even though it spent the last decade claiming that it already did!
And they’re attacking whistle-blowers. When women mobilized against the toxic culture at HSUS, it stemmed from multiple allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct against Proposition 12’s chief architect, now former CEO, Wayne Pacelle. HSUS’s response was to question the women’s integrity.
That tactic is now being used against conscientious animal advocates opposed to Proposition 12.
The inescapable reality is this: If not for HSUS’s malpractice, California hens would be cage-free at this very moment. Let’s not fall for the same trick -- twice.
Vote NO on Prop 12.
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Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
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Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.