Group to Demonstrate Outside Bay Area Safeway Stores on Friday

On Friday, November 25 (the biggest shopping day of the year), members of East Bay Animal Advocates (EBAA) will be leafleting outside six Safeway stores in the Bay Area to make consumers aware of the animal abuse practiced by poultry producer Foster Farms. Many shoppers will be heading to Safeway to make their holiday purchases, and Safeway is one of Foster Farms’ largest retailers.

Recently, EBAA unveiled the findings of its cruelty investigation of Foster Farms, the largest poultry producer in the Western United States. The group’s graphic documentation (available at http://www.fosterfacts.net) reveals systematic animal neglect at Foster Farms’ poultry operations. This year, EBAA asked for a tour of the company’s chicken farms. The tour request was denied. EBAA investigators subsequently rescued 39 sick and injured chickens from Foster Farms locations in northern California. Following these investigative rescues, EBAA filed an animal cruelty complaint with authorities in Merced County. In addition, EBAA interviewed employees and union organizers, revealing shocking labor practices at Foster Farms.

To raise the public’s awareness about Foster Farms’ egregious abuse of animals, EBAA members will be distributing information at the following Safeway locations:

• 10 – 10:30 AM: 2250 F Monument Blvd, Concord
• 10:45 – 11:15 AM: 710 Bancroft Rd, Walnut Creek
• 3 – 3:45 PM: 1500 Solano Ave, Albany
• 4:15 – 4:45 PM: 5130 Broadway, Oakland
• 5 – 5:30 PM: 3747 Grand Ave, Oakland
• 6:30 – 7:30 PM: 555 Floresta Blvd, San Leandro

EBAA is calling on Foster Farms to improve conditions for birds by establishing an Animal Welfare Audit Program (AWAP), an independent, third-party program to verify that organizations supplying America’s meat, dairy and egg products meet the guidance for animal welfare practices established by their respective industries. Each week Foster Farms slaughters five million chickens for human consumption.

“As an industry leader, Foster Farms sets a very poor example for humane practices in modern agriculture,” says Christine Morrissey, EBAA director. “Despite its exceptional economic growth, Foster Farms fails to provide adequate care for chickens; therefore, we are asking Safeway to join us in requesting that Foster Farms create an audit program to better ensure the humane treatment of the chickens the company raises and slaughters.”

“As a leader on animal welfare in the food industry and major retailer of Foster Farm products,” says Morrissey, “Safeway plays an important role in influencing compassionate business practices for Foster Farms.”

East Bay Animal Advocates is a non-profit organization based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Exposing animal cruelty in modern agriculture is of utmost importance to EBAA. Through direct aid and education outreach, EBAA is dedicated to fighting and preventing animal abuse in California's agricultural industry and beyond.

Video Footage Available for Media.

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