New Jersey Latest State to Ban the Crates!
A major victory for mother pigs and baby cows.
The passing of New Jersey’s law follows shortly after the US Supreme Court upheld California’s farmed animal protection laws, which were challenged by the factory farming lobby.
We always love sharing great news for animals! On July 26, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed a new bill into law banning the use of crates for mother pigs and baby cows in the state! New Jersey joins eight other states that have banned the use of gestation crates for pigs and veal crates for calves (two states, Florida and Oregon, have passed laws banning gestation crates for pigs but have not yet addressed veal crates).
Gestation crates trap female pigs used for breeding in tiny metal cages barely larger than their bodies. These cages are so small, the pigs trapped inside are unable to turn around or lay down comfortably. The barren, concrete flooring and metal bars cause painful lesions and leg injuries. The stress and boredom these pigs experience cause severe psychological harm leading them to bite at the bars, sway repetitively, and chew obsessively despite not having food in their mouths.
Veal crates confine baby cows who will be slaughtered for veal alone in tiny boxes. Within hours of being born, these calves are ripped away from their mothers, who are exploited by the factory-farmed dairy industry--in fact, the veal industry could not exist without the dairy industry as female cows exploited for dairy are continuously impregnated to produce milk. These cruel crates prevent the baby cows from getting the exercise, socialization, and maternal bonding that they need, causing significant stress, pain, and health problems. They are killed for veal at just 18 weeks old.
Hundreds of World Animal Protection supporters in New Jersey took action over the past two years calling on the state legislature and the governor to pass this law. As part of the Ban the Crates Coalition, we also wrote to policymakers and shared the importance of this bill in local media. We are so immensely grateful to everyone who helped bring this to fruition.
The passing of New Jersey’s law follows shortly after the US Supreme Court upheld California’s farmed animal protection laws, which were challenged by the factory farming lobby.
Donate today to continue helping fight for farmed animals and ending the cruelty of factory farming in the US.
Want to take further action? Email your federal legislators urging them to oppose the “Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression” Act that would overturn this and many other state protections for farmed, wild, and companion animals!
