HeadCount is all about kick-ass grassroots democracy, so we're delighted to report two legislative victories pushed through by Farm Sanctuary, the nonprofit founded in 1986 to combat the abuses of factory farming.
This month California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill banning dairy-cow tail docking, thereby terminating this painful and unnecessary practice (Learn why tail docking messes up cows so badly here.) Meanwhile, Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm signed a bill phasing out the cruel close confinement of farm animals. It would ban veal crates for calves within three years and then battery cages for laying hens and gestation crates for breeding sows within ten. Michigan is the seventh state to ban gestation crates, the fifth to ban veal crates, and the second to ban hen battery cages.
Farm Sanctuary founder Gene Baur notes, "Cutting off cows’ tails and confining animals so tightly that they cannot even turn around or stretch their limbs is cruel and outside the bounds of acceptable conduct. We are now seeing growing momentum in our collective efforts to end the most egregious abuses of farm animals in this country."
Farm Sanctuary will celebrate these animal-rights victories at Frankapalooza: Rockin' Out for Farm Animals II, an NYC benefit concert this Thursday, October 29, at Kenny's Castaways. Stop by to meet Gene Baur...and say hello to me! I'm playing an acoustic set at 7, followed by HERE at 7:30 and Athena Reich at 8.
