New Jersey Residents: Help Ban Barbaric Gestation Crates That Confine Pregnant Pigs In Areas So Small That They Can’t Turn Around

A new bill has been introduced in New Jersey to crack down on the immense cruelty and abysmal conditions occurring on factory farms. If passed, this new legislation would ban barbaric gestation crates that confine pregnant pigs in areas so cramped they are unable to turn around.

With COVID-19 causing overwhelming losses worldwide, it is more important than ever to eliminate the horrific treatment of animals and devastating public health risks caused by factory farming. Factory farms house pigs in filthy conditions which are ideal breeding grounds for potentially deadly pathogens. The extreme confinement pigs endure in gestation crates makes them go insane. They develop sores from rubbing against the bars of their prisons, which leaves them ripe for infection. According to Dr. Gregory Gray, who directs the University of Iowa’s Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, viruses “have continual opportunity to replicate, mutate, reassort, and recombine into novel strains” after entering pig farms, which causes them “to spread and become endemic.” New Jersey must act now to eliminate this cruel, public health risk!

Surveys show that a full 91% of New Jersey voters are in favor of banning unimaginably cruel gestation crates. If New Jersey passes S.1971, it will join nine other states including California, Florida, and Ohio which have already enacted similar bans.

What You Can Do

S.1971 is currently sitting in the New Jersey Senate Environment and Energy Committee chaired by Senator Bob Smith. It needs your support in the form of calls and letters.

1) Please call Senator Bob Smith at (732) 752-0770 (between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm ET) and urge him to advance S. 1971 out of the committee.

Here’s an example of what you can say:

As a resident of New Jersey, I respectfully urge Senator Bob Smith to support and progress Senate Bill 1971, the bill to ban cruel gestation crates in pig farms. Factory farms house pigs in filthy conditions which are an ideal environment for pathogens. With COVID-19 causing untold devastation, it is more important than ever to combat this abuse.

2) After your call, please send In Defense of Animals’ follow-up letter to the Environment and Energy Committee by filling out the form HERE. 

Content courtesy of In Defense of Animals. Help them continue fighting for animals, people, and the environment by making a donation HERE!