Victory: Red Robin Goes Cage-free!
posted by: Drew Wilson 126 days ago
Here is some great news from the campaign to improve conditions for animals on factory-farms: Another chain food company has agreed to phase out the use of eggs from battery-cages. Red Robin's will exclusively use eggs from facilities that do not use battery-cages. This victory is a direct result of organizing and negotiations by the Humane Society of the United States. We have a lot more work ahead of us, but today we can celebrate a slightly better life for chickens who are confined on factory-farms.
From the Humane Society announcement:
According to Red Robin's new plan, the Greenwood Village, Colorado-based chain will exclusively use cage-free eggs in all U.S. company-owned stores by the end of 2010. Red Robin's phase-in will begin next month, and will be one-third complete by the end of 2009.
Red Robin is also in the process of working with pork suppliers to phase in gestation crate-free pork at company-owned locations.
End Animal Abuse: Change Your Diet
This should go without saying, but the best thing you can do to reduce cruelty to animals on factory-farms is to become a vegetarian. It's an easy way to make sure that not a single animal is abused for your food, it's good for your health, and it is better for the environment. If you care about animals, this should be a no-brainer.
Welfare Improvements = Progress
No one is under the illusion that hens in cage-free factory-farms live happy lives or that cage-free factory farms are humane. The key point is that these animals will now live a better life than they would in barren, metal battery-cages. The world isn't going vegan overnight and right now there are billions of animals confined on factory-farms, in vivisection labs, on fur-farms, and in circuses. As this Red Robin's victory demonstrates, we can make these animals' lives better right now.
What do you think about this victory? Answer in the comments below.
Read more: animal welfare
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It is about time. I have been staying away from all meats and chicken - never veal and pork - Alot of people don't understand our way of thinking - it's a shame!
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What good news, finally the world is waking up to the evil perpetrated by factory farming. I must admit I've been slow to say this has got to stop too, but not anymore.
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Edward stick with it, you have the right analogies to relate to Nazism or whatever, I grew up as a German in Nazi Germany, it wasn't pretty, it's just a dog, just a kid, a Gypsy etc. just a negro, comes all from the same mindset, deminishing the other or objectifying them, so as to make the horrendous brutality more palatable, then and now, I have not felt of your readings that you are trying to rant or bully. I also agree with you on on the thema of domesticated animals, after all they did not start off that way did they, so it now our responsibility to ensure their completeness in life and care, and a humane end, and not necessarely at the hands of a butcher, or in a gas chamber or whatever else now we use, TO USE, read my poem on" bloodied wheels along the track" posted at Alica Stinsons facebook site, you will see how I feel. Bless you!
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(continued)
The *solution* is to not breed them. That is ALL I’m advocating: DON’T breed them. I’m not saying don’t rescue domesticated animals who need homes. I’m not saying release domesticated animals into the wild. I’m just saying that *breeding them is wrong.* (BTW, the over-breeding of animals is not expected to stop, or even decline, during our lifetimes, so don’t worry, there will always be a homeless nonhuman being to adopt.)
I’m happy to hear that you think about the problems with confining and killing for food and other forms of entertainment. ‘Food’ animals make up over 97% (in number of victims) of the most abused animals in the world. As such, our decision to use them as a food preference is ultimately the root of every other form of cruelty. I realize that, just as we will never abolish human slavery and intentional killing entirely worldwide, we will never abolish nonhuman slavery and intentional killing worldwide. But each of us can choose our own standard of behavior toward others, regardless of their species, race, sex, age, or sexual preference. Let us choose to be empathetic and just to others, and to speak on their behalf, regardless of how they happened to be born into the world.
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Kathy,
I’m not advocating that we set domesticated animals free whom we have *intentionally* brought into existence through our breeding practices to, as you appropriately say, “starve and get sick and die”. I advocate rescuing homeless *domesticated* (a key word here) animals.
In fact, thank you for pointing out one of the big problems with *breeding* domesticated nonhuman beings. We addict animals to domesticated conditions where they are neither protected by rights, nor free from our (not your) tyranny. We create this problem ourselves by 1) intentionally breeding them into existence, 2) claim it’s their problem that they can’t live in the wild, and then 3) provide the ‘solution’ of domestication (and more breeding), which is simply a vicious circle. The truth is that there is nobody more pathetic, weak, and helpless than a *human* OR domesticated nonhuman in the wild without modern equipment or conveniences, but if nonhumans are born naturally, they generally live the kind of life they evolved to live. It may not be posh, or long, or boring as hell, or easy (as is the case with both many humans and nonhumans), or simply hell (as is the case with many domesticated nonhumans and some humans), but it is free, wild, and appropriate for their nature.
(continued)
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Dan, I totally honor your belief that it's abusive and bad to kill and eat animals and your choice to be vegan and to advocate for that. And I do think about this a lot.
But if you think that domesticated animals would be better off not living with people, think again. Go read the street dogs of Mumbai article at this site and tell me that letting animals be "free spirits" in our society is better then having pets.
Whether I eat eggs and meat or not, my animals are part of my family and I will NEVER believe that setting them free to procreate, starve and get sick and die is better for them than to live in my home and be well taken care of and loved.
And if this is what you are advocating, you can stick it where the sun don't shine!
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(continued)
Since humans bred domestic animals into existence (ie created the problem in the first place), humans are responsible to care for them. However, it ought to be illegal to breed or sell any nonhuman being. Since humans breed tens of millions more dogs and cats annually than demand can satisfy, many dogs and cats are left to die or murdered with a needle (the euphemism is ‘euthanasia’, but since most of these animals aren’t sick or suffering, it’s really murder). Again, the answer is to stop breeding and selling and make it illegal. But first, we need to see animals as beings with important interests in their lives (exactly like us) instead of as “things” or commodities that we own and exploit.
Go vegan. Nonhuman beings are not things. They care about their lives just like you do.
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Kathy,
Seriously, there were slave owners in 18th and 19th century America who it would have been much better to be owned by as a slave than to work in most of the industrial sweatshops during the same period – the slaves were treated wonderfully. Slave owners made the same arguments against 19th century abolitionists that you’re making now. However, there were also slave owners who it would have been a living hell to be owned by, far worse than a sweatshop.
The point is that the institutions of human and nonhuman ownership and exploitation are morally wrong, regardless of how well the slaves are treated. Nonhuman beings lived for many millennia before humans even evolved and did just fine without us. We ought to stop intentionally breeding, selling, and exploiting animals. Today’s overpopulation problems are almost entirely due to humans intentionally breeding other species.
(continued)
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Dan, I don't consider collecting my hens eggs to be "stealing" them. They don't eat them if I don't collect them for a couple of days so I don't feel bad picking them up. Also they are very well fed so don't need to eat their own eggs. And no, I don't sell the eggs and I don't kill the older birds.
Matthew, this comment "It needs to be clear that placing animals out of context or out of their natural habitat and natural ways of existing is strictly prohibited." sounds like you are saying that ALL animals should be left to run free. Do you honestly believe that 1. my dogs and cats or even my horses would be happier and healthier running loose having babies constantly and not being taken care of? Or 2. that any domesticated animal would fare well out in the wilds?
No, lets do what PETA does and euthanize 95% of them while telling people that they will find them good homes. Or do what HSUS does and collect millions of dollars to rehome lost Katrina pets and then spend that money on something totally different. Yes lets outlaw ALL animal ownership, which is PETA and HSUS's hidden agendas. Sounds like the animal nazis to me!
I have no problem with people fighting against abuse and choosing not to eat animal flesh and advocating veganism, but I do have a problem with people telling me that my four legged family members are being abused because I love and take care of them.
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Thanks to the Humane Society of the United states for their hard work. Definitely a step in the right direction towards improving the lives of these chickens. It's a major incentive for all of us who are pushing for the end brutal animal factory farming. The authorities around the world need to take note of our progress and come together to address this "stand out" problem. They must remove outdated, inappropriate and bias laws towards business ethics that permit cruelty, torment, abuse and the killing of animals. Animals are not to be used used for sport, clothes, food or entertainment. New laws must fundamentally protect and nurture our animals without discrimination. It needs to be clear that placing animals out of context or out of their natural habitat and natural ways of existing is strictly prohibited.
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