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Since 1999, Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) activists in the UK, the US, and elsewhere have campaigned against Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS). HLS is a contract animal research lab with one facility in New Jersey and two in England. Their practices were exposed by SHAC in five different undercover investigations. Video footage showed workers punching beagles in the face, dissecting live monkeys, falsifying scientific data, and, activists claim, violating countless sections of the Animal Welfare Act. Businesses that did business with HLS were included in the campaign. Home demonstrations were one of many brazen tactics used by the group to discourage companies from continuing to with HLS. Numerous businesses did stop working with HLS over time and, in 2005, HLS indefinitely postponed a planned listing with the New York Stock Exchange.

After Congressional hearings brought governmental pressure to bear, a New Jersey federal grand jury in 2004 indicted seven individuals and the organization Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty USA on charges of animal enterprise terrorism under the Animal Enterprise Protection Act of 1992 (formerly known as the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act). The law singles out property crimes against businesses that use animals and treats them more seriously than similar offences against other organizations. This is the first time anyone has ever been tried under the Animal Enterprise Protection Act. Many fear the convictions have set a precedent for animal protection campaigners throughout the country. In fact, numerous other environmental and animal activists are currently facing indictments and grand jury subpoenas in a recent massive governmental sweep in the U.S. that has come be known at the "Green Scare".

All of the SHAC defendants were involved in some capacity in the campaign to close Huntingdon Life Sciences. Originally, seven individuals were charged, along with the organization Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty USA. Charges against one activist were later dropped. None of those convicted are alleged to have carried out any of the substantive crimes laid out in the indictment — from property damage to intimidation. Rather, the six were convicted of running the SHAC USA website that allowed others access to information that could be used in such crimes. While one of those convicted now admits, "Some of the things I've done have been just rude, and I wouldn't do them again," all six remaining activists face years in federal prison for "crimes" in which no one was hurt. Four of the six are currently under house arrest while awaiting sentencing in June, and the SHAC7 Support Committee and attorneys are continuing to work to have the remaining two defendants released as well.

Recent Reports: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 · SHAC Video: Time for Action 2

SHAC7 Support | SHAC UK

Previous Indybay Feature on the Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty Case

Foster Farms is the largest poultry producer in the Western United States, slaughtering five million chickens each week. It has thousands of employees and boasts annual revenue of $1.5 billion from its poultry operations. East Bay Animal Advocates (EBAA) requested a tour of the company’s chicken farms and was denied. So, EBAA conducted an undercover investigation of Foster Farms' broiler (chicken meat) operations in Merced County, California's top broiler producing county and home of the company’s headquarters. While Foster Farms publicly claims that the "climate is ideal" for their chickens, EBAA found "systematic animal neglect at Foster Farms’ poultry operations." EBAA investigators rescued 39 sick and injured chickens. Following the investigative rescue, EBAA filed an animal cruelty complaint with Merced County Animal Control. The results of the investigation were released online last September when EBAA unveiled fosterfacts.net, a website dedicated to documenting Foster Farms' treatment of its chickens and workers. In October, hundreds of Foster Farms' workers went on strike at the company's largest chicken plant in Livingston. These workers claimed unfair labor practices ranging from low wages to hazardous working conditions. Interviews with a number of these striking workers were posted at fosterfacts.net.

In February, Foster Farms directly responded to EBAA's website by issuing a "cease and desist" order demanding that "EBAA immediately cancel or transfer the fosterfacts.net website to Foster Farms" and “refrain from any libelous or slanderous activity toward Foster Farms” by March 10. EBAA refuses to back down, claiming their documentation speaks for itself. While Foster Farms continues to threaten litigation, it has not as of yet actually filed as lawsuit. Unfortunately, earlier this year, one Foster Farms' employee was seriously injured and another was killed on the job. The workers' cause did move forward in early April, though, when a federal judge ordered Foster Farms to finally recognize the union at the company's Livingston plant.

Regardless of Foster Farms’ next move, EBAA will continue speaking out, and states that, “The mission of our organization is to reveal cruelty of agriculture in California, and we’ll continue to do that.”

Read More: 1 | 2 | 3

Previous Indybay Features on Foster Farms' Treatment of Animals and Workers

Animal Rights on the Farm (ARF) continued its campaign against Stanford University's animal experiments with a demonstration on Friday, February 10 at the University’s Research Animal Facility (RAF). Stanford undergraduates, law students, and graduate students converged on the RAF to voice their opposition to Stanford’s experiments involving up to 109,000 primates, dogs, mice, and numerous other types of animals. ARF seeks increased transparency and accountability for experiments at Stanford, since the private university is not subject to the California Public Records Act or the Freedom of Information Act. ARF also calls on the University to begin its shift to more humane alternatives by eliminating what it considers the worst experiments, such as cocaine research on adolescent squirrel monkeys, maternal deprivation research on infant squirrel monkeys, and sleep deprivation research on monkeys, rats, and mice.

Full Report and Photos · More Info: 1 | 2

Ninety-five percent of all eggs in this country are produced by hens in cramped and unhealthy battery cages which are packed into dark and rank warehouses holding up to 125,000 birds each. A significant share of the nation's eggs come from California's Central Valley. Animal advocates are addressing this intensive industry-standard practice in a number of ways and achieving some success. Activists campaigned recently to urge the Trader Joe's grocery chain to stop selling eggs from battery caged hens. As of February 1st, the grocery store no longer carries such eggs. East Bay Animal Advocates (EBAA) has released a video documenting the squalid condition of egg-laying hens in California. EBAA are encouraging people to see for themselves where their eggs come from and to contact their elected representatives to demand enforcement of a law which makes the conditions created for hens by battery cage confinement illegal. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has filed a lawsuit targeting the tax-breaks that egg producers receive despite the legal violations inherent in their methods.

EBAA Undercover Video · HSUS Lawsuit: 1 | 2 · Trader Joes Campaign: 1 | 2

After 3 weeks of being denied vegan meals, Eric McDavid is now on a hunger strike. Since January 13th, he has been held in the Sacramento County Main Jail and denied vegan food. His family has reported that his health has been failing from three weeks of malnourishment. Eric began the hunger strike on January 31st. Despite the efforts of his family, friends, and lawyer he has not been given food he can eat. Supporters are asking that people call the county jail and politely but firmly request that he be given vegan food (food without animal products such as meat, dairy, or eggs) before his health deteriorates further. They say that people should point out that being able to eat is Eric’s human right and vital to his physical and mental well-being. Read more

Read more about the Three Auburn Eco-Defense Arrestees on Indybay's Police and Prisons and California News Pages

A federal grand jury in San Francisco demanded the re-appearance of several alleged animal rights activists on Wednesday, January 25th. These people face jail time for exercising their right to remain silent before what supporters call a "secret government inquisition." They say that a strong showing of opposition to FBI witch hunts is crucial to the survival of the activist community. About 50 supporters demonstrated at 9:00am in front of the San Francisco Federal Building at 450 Golden Gate (between Polk and Larkin).

In a report from the June 22nd, 2005 grand jury hearing, Indybay reporter Kelah Bott stated that "Many activists (and non-activist citizens) are opposed to the Grand Jury system as a violation of one’s constitutional rights. Once in the Grand Jury room, those forced to testify have no right to an attorney. The power of the prosecutor goes unchecked and there is no limit to the scope of the questions they may ask. The Grand Jury is used a tool of the prosecution to gather information on social justice movements and to drive divisions between activists."

Report and Photos | Photos, Video and Audio

FBI Witchhunt.com | Past Indybay Coverage of the SF Animal Rights Grand Jury

In an apparent attempt to disrupt the activities of Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty and other direct action animal activists, seven animal activists now known as the SHAC 7 are set to be tried — with jury selection starting February 6th — in New Jersey for violating the Federal Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. The Act punishes anyone who "physically disrupts" an animal enterprise. The charges stem from these activists' alleged participation in an international campaign to close the product testing vivisection labs of Huntingdon Life Sciences. They are alleged to have operated a website that reported on and expressed ideological support for protest activity against Huntingdon and its business affiliates. For this they are charged with "terrorism" and face an aggregate of 23 years in Federal Prison.

Oakland Benefit Held Wednesday, January 11th: Report & Photos | 1 | 2 · SHAC 7 Events Calendar

Previous Indybay features on Federal persecution of animal activists, including current Grand Jury in SF: 1 | 2 | 3

Older Reports on SHAC Arrests and More: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6