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Farm Sanctuary Announces Opposition to New Jersey Bill (AB 2649) Intended to Weaken Farm Animal Protection Laws

Posted on: Monday, 8 January 2007, 09:00 CST

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y., Jan. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Farm Sanctuary, the nation's leading farm animal protection organization, today announced its opposition to Assembly Bill 2649 (AB 2649). This bill would prevent local law enforcement from investigating farm animal cruelty cases without the interference of agribusiness, thus allowing the industry to police itself. Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew (D) introduced legislation that would eliminate the authority of SPCAs and local law enforcement to initiate charges against individuals or companies regarding the treatment of farm animals without first deferring to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA). The NJDA is currently involved in a legal case challenging its "humane" standards, which codify and label cruel factory farming practices as "humane."

Under AB 2649, the following changes to existing law would be made:

Local SPCAs and law enforcement agencies must defer to NJDA before animal cruelty charges can be filed in cases involving livestock. Criminal charges may only be initiated if NJDA deems a violation to have occurred. Farm animals, with the exception of those kept as companion animals, are universally exempted from protection from abuse of any kind under the state's animal cruelty law.

All "livestock incidents" must be reported to livestock inspectors, who have no law enforcement authority, rather than to law enforcement officers.

"The NJDA has consistently acted to maintain the agribusiness status quo at the expense of animal welfare," said Gene Baur, president of Farm Sanctuary. "If this bill were to pass into law, the industry would be given further authority to police itself and farm animals would be left without basic protection under the law."

On December 13, 2006, the New Jersey Superior Court heard oral arguments in the case of Farm Sanctuary, et al. vs. NJDA and all parties currently await a decision. Farm Sanctuary alleges that NJDA has failed to establish humane standards for farm animals as required by the New Jersey legislature in 1996.

Currently NJDA allows multiple inhumane farming practices including:

Confining pregnant pigs for months at a time in gestation crates, individual metal enclosures too small for them to turn around; Tethering and restrictively confining calves raised for veal to prevent them from exercising, so their muscles can't develop and remain soft; and Mutilations without anesthesia, including castration, debeaking, detoeing and tail docking.

Plaintiffs in the case challenging the NJDA's "humane" standards, which codify cruel farming practices include Farm Sanctuary, the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, The Humane Society of the United States, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Animal Welfare Institute, Animal Welfare Advocacy, Saving Our Resources Today, Center for Food Safety, the Organic Consumers Association, farmers and citizens.

About Farm Sanctuary

Farm Sanctuary is the nation's leading farm animal protection organization. Since incorporating in 1986, Farm Sanctuary has worked to expose and stop cruel practices of the "food animal" industry through research and investigations, legal and institutional reforms, public awareness projects, youth education, and direct rescue and refuge efforts. Farm Sanctuary shelters in Watkins Glen, NY and Orland, CA provide lifelong care for hundreds of rescued animals, who have become ambassadors for farm animals everywhere by educating visitors about the realities of factory farming. Additional information can be found at http://www.farmsanctuary.org/ or by calling 607- 583-2225.

Farm Sanctuary

CONTACT: Tricia Ritterbusch, +1-607-583-2225 ext. 233,tritterbusch@farmsanctuary.org, or Meghan Beeby, +1-607-583-2225 ext. 251,mbeeby@farmsanctuary.org, both of Farm Sanctuary

Web site: http://www.farmsanctuary.org/

Source: PRNewswire-USNewswire

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