Three Ways to Help Farm Animals in Honor of National Farm Animal Awareness Week

The overwhelming majority of Americans agree that animals raised for food deserve to live free from abuse and cruelty. Yet in the United States, 95% of land animals raised for food are reared in factory farms—industrial facilities that house hundreds or even thousands of farm animals in intensive confinement.

Animals on factory farms suffer in inhumane, overcrowded unsanitary conditions, often confined to cages or crates, without materials to interact with during the day or anywhere comfortable to rest at night. These intelligent, social animals deserve better than life on a factory farm. In honor of National Farm Animal Awareness Week (the third week of every September), here are three things you can do right now to help protect farm animals:

1. Watch and Share Our Farm System Reform Act Video
   The Farm System Reform Act is a bill recently introduced in Congress that would phase out large factory farms across the United States, provide federal support to help farmers transition to more humane farming systems and hold factory farms accountable for harming local communities and treating farmers unfairly. Watch the video, share it on social media, and then urge your U.S. representative and senators to support this critical legislation.
2. Hold Costco Accountable
   Is Costco misleading the public? Costco claims it is “committed to maintaining the highest standards of animal welfare.” However, video footage showed chickens suffering immensely at one of its chicken suppliers, and it refuses to adopt animal welfare standards that have been committed to by more than 200 companies. Take action today by asking law enforcement to investigate Costco’s bogus welfare claims.
3. Take the Factory Farm Detox
   Animal cruelty, environmental pollution and human injustices occurring on factory farms may seem overwhelming, but you can make a real difference through your everyday food purchases. Take the ASPCA’s Factory Farm Detox, a one-week commitment to eliminate factory-farmed foods from your diet. We’ll send you all the tips and resources you need to sort through confusing food labels and replace factory-farmed products with higher welfare foods.

Almost 10 billion animals are raised in the United States for food each year. National Farm Animal Awareness Week is the perfect time to take action! No matter what you eat, you can help improve the lives of farm animals.