Fw: Major victory for animals in PETA US' KFC campaign!

June 28, 2008

- PETA Europe

Jillian Vickerman

Wednesday, June 25, 2008 12:24 PM

Major victory for animals in PETA US' KFC campaign!

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I have great news! Thanks to the tireless efforts of members and supporters, PETA US has scored a major victory for chickens killed for fast-food chain KFC.Following more than five years of intense campaigning, numerous undercover investigations and more than 12,000 demonstrations against KFC around the world, I'm happy to announce that KFC Canada will be making sweeping changes to the way its suppliers raise and kill chickens slaughtered for KFC restaurants.KFC Canada agreed to this historic new animal welfare plan following seven months of closed-door negotiations with PETA US. The company plans to do the following:

Phase in purchases of 100 per cent of its chickens from suppliers which use controlled-atmosphere killing (CAK) – the least cruel form of poultry slaughter ever developed. KFC Canada is the first major restaurant chain to commit to phasing in the exclusive purchasing of chicken meat from CAK slaughterhouses.

Add a vegan faux-chicken menu item at the majority of Canadian KFC restaurants.

Improve its animal welfare criteria to reduce the number of broken bones and other injuries suffered by birds.

Urge its suppliers to adopt better practices, including improved lighting, lower stocking-density and ammonia levels, and a phase-out of growth-promoting drugs and breeding practices which painfully cripple chickens.

Form an animal welfare advisory panel to monitor the changes and recommend further advancements.

This is wonderful news for chickens. However, KFC has not yet acted outside of Canada to stop the worst abuses of chickens. We are now focusing on using the momentum of the KFC Canada victory to force KFC in the UK and around the world to meet the new standards adopted by KFC Canada. By making an urgently needed donation today, you can help our campaign work to spread these improvements for animals to all KFC restaurants worldwide. In short, PETA's KFC campaign is far from over. We will continue to pressure KFC in the UK to demand that its suppliers stop the worst abuses of chickens, such as scalding birds to death, cutting birds' throats while they're still conscious, and drugging and breeding birds to grow so large that they become crippled beneath their own weight.For all you've already done – and will do – to help with this historic KFC campaign, thank you.Kind regards,Ingrid E NewkirkFounderPS KFC in the UK and other countries still buy from suppliers that routinely raise and slaughter countless chickens in horrible ways each year. The chickens suffer in the same conditions which KFC Canada no longer tolerates. By making an urgently needed donation today, you can help us fight for and win better lives for chickens killed for KFC worldwide.