APRL supports Burton foie gras bill

[Guest guest]

APRL is fully in support of SB1520, as are all groups that have actually

worked on this issue. The couple of rogue groups opposing the bill have

their own agenda, and it isn't helping animals. It is crucial that animal

advocates unify behind this effort, because this landmark legislation is

on very tenuous footing and its defeat due to dissension would epitomize

what is wrong with the animal rights movement. The below letter I

submitted to the Guardian will run next week:

 

 

To the Editor:

 

A naive or malicious party ran an ad in your paper last week claiming that

Senator Burton's bill to ban the cruel force feeding of birds to make

" foie gras " would instead have the opposite of its intended effect. The ad

complained that the bill has a phaseout period during which force feeding

would continue to be permitted and litigation to end it would not be given

effect.

 

Unlike the entity that ran the ad, my organization is actually currently

engaged in litigation to stop this horrendous practice. Our lawsuit would

be eliminated by the phaseout period, but we still recognize that the

proposed legislation is the way to go. Litigation is unpredictable and

unreliable, and appeals take years. Furthermore, it is entirely likely

that a favorable decision in our lawsuit would also include a phaseout

period, as has been the case in other countries.

 

Anyone who believes Sonoma Foie Gras's claims that they will be able to

" prove that ducks do not suffer " during the phaseout period is ignoring

the awful truth that these birds' livers are expanded 8-12 times their

natural size, and there is no way to do this humanely. It is crucial that

everyone who wants to see this horrific practice stopped write to their

Assemlymembers and Governor Schwarzenegger urging that the bill, SB1520,

which the Senate already passed, become law.

 

During the phaseout period, it will be necessary to continue to convince

restaurants to stop serving this delicacy of despair and encourage

consumers to eat delicious vegetarian pate instead of foie gras. For more

information on APRL's animal cruelty investigation into the foie gras

industry and other ways you can help, please go to

www.StopForceFeeding.com.

 

 

Sincerely,

Bryan Pease, co-director

Animal Protection & Rescue League

www.StopForceFeeding.com

619-269-6393