Paper : Four

You should read the post entitled Calla's Fifty-First Post for an explanation of the following assignment. Thanks.

Calla Wright
Fundraising and Development
Professor Eleanor
Cicerchi February 11, 2009

FARM SANCTUARY CASE STATEMENT

WHY WE EXIST

Every year in the United States, over ten billion animals are kept in inhumane conditions. In mass, they live out their lives in dark crates, pens, or overcrowded rooms where they are unable to stretch, turn around, or walk. They are forced to live in their own waste, fed diets they cannot digest, exposed to disease but not to proper veterinary care, held in isolation or held in such congested conditions that some are regularly trampled. If these were cats or dogs, legislation would protect them against these practices. But as it stands farm animals are treated as mere commodities, not like the intelligent, emotional, sentient beings that they are. Farm Sanctuary is working to change this reality.

IN THE BEGINNING

Incorporated in 1986, Farm Sanctuary’s co-founders, Gene and Lorri Baur, were initially unsure of their exact mission beyond that they wanted to combat factory farming through advocacy and education. They immediately began producing advocacy literature, however no plans were in place for a physical sanctuary. That same year the Baurs rescued Hilda from Lancaster Stockyard’s dead pile. The Baurs were investigating conditions at the stockyard and taking photos of the dead pile, when a sheep, presumed to have died in the back of a truck during transport, lifted her head and looked up at the co-founders. Unable to leave the animal to die, and without thinking about the legal ramifications of theft, the two lifted Hilda into the back of the Baurs’ car. They took her to a vet, and then back to Farm Sanctuary’s headquarters, then located in Wilmington, Delaware. With Hilda safely being nursed back to health in a shed in the backyard, the vision of Farm Sanctuary shifted: this was to be an actual safe-haven for the abused and forgotten. What began with a whim of co-founder, board member and president Gene Baur has turned into the nation's leading farm animal protection organization; over 100,000 members strong. Farm Sanctuary has become a 501(c)(3) whose mission is three-pronged: rescue, education and advocacy.

WHAT WE DO AND WHAT WE OFFER

Rescue:
Farm Sanctuary operates the largest North American rescue and refuge network for farm animals. With two large shelters, 175-acres in upstate New York and 300-acres in northern California, Farm Sanctuary is able to give animals the chance to live out their natural lives in spacious, healthful environments.

In addition to these shelters, Farm Sanctuary operates an entire adoption network made up of smaller shelters and individuals with proper facilities to house farm animals. Coast-to-coast, Farm Sanctuary works to adopt out animals to vegetarian and vegan volunteers when its facilities are full. These animals must always be adopted in pairs to spare them the experience of social isolation.

Farm Sanctuary has also been a savior for animals during many of the nation’s largest disaster relief efforts. From Hurricane Katrina, to the Midwest flood disaster, to long-forgotten tornadoes and cases of mass animal neglect, for the past twenty years, Farm Sanctuary has been an essential resource during hundreds of animal rescue projects.

Education:
Farm Sanctuary strives to educate people through varied methods. Internships are available at both the New York and California shelters as well as in Farm Sanctuary’s New York City offices. Shelters are open to visitors for informative guided tours and overnight stays. Annual events such as the 4th of July Pignic and the Country Hoe Down are held in an effort to educate participants. Projects such as the adopt-a-turkey program and the walk-for-farm-animals also help to raise public consciousness to the plight of farm animals. Finally, Farm Sanctuary does not underestimate the impact of documentaries, public service announcements, books and other literature and often uses such mediums to create a stronger public awareness.

Advocacy:
The Federal Animal Welfare Act does not cover farm animals, nor do the majority of anti-cruelty laws at the state level. Farm Sanctuary works to encourage legal reforms in the area of farm animal welfare at both the Federal level and state-by-state. Beginning in 1986 with a No-Downers Campaign, Farm Sanctuary’s efforts for legislative reform have been continuous. New campaigns and new ballot initiatives are introduced during opportune times.

MILESTONES

Over the years Farm Sanctuary has played a part in substantive gains for farm animals. Most recently, Farm Sanctuary co-led a campaign in California, known as proposition 2, to outlaw battery cages, veal crates and gestation crates by the year 2015. In 2008, prop 2 passed with 63% of voter support. Also in 2008, Farm Sanctuary gained the trust of the Iowa State Department of Agriculture who formally invited Farm Sanctuary to rescue animals left for dead during the Midwest flood disaster. In 2007, one of Farm Sanctuary’s educational campaigns was featured on the front page of the New York Times. That same year, Farm Sanctuary rescued over 200 animals from live markets in New York City, received word that Wolfgang Puck would remove foie gras and crated veal from his menus in response to a Farm Sanctuary campaign, and successfully pressed charges against New Holland Sales Stables on three counts of animal cruelty leading to a guilty verdict. A comprehensive list of victories dating back to 1986 can be found online at http://www.farmsanctuary.org/about/milestones/

OUR CURRENT EFFORTS

Though this progress has been exciting, it in no way belittles the goals yet to be accomplished in the field of farm animal welfare. With your contribution Farm Sanctuary can continue its efforts in the areas of advocacy, education and rescue. Currently, Farm Sanctuary is working on campaigns to end the cruel force-feeding practices that are necessary for the production of Foie Gras, and to eradicate the endless cycle of impregnation, birth, and lactation that dairy cows suffer, made possible by the immediate loss of their calves to the veal industry. Farm Sanctuary is also involved in the Sentient Beings Campaign chaired by Mary Tyler Moore. Additionally, Farm Sanctuary’s educational Veg-for-Life campaign is an ongoing effort that promotes a vegan lifestyle, and provides resources to get individuals started on that path. Furthermore, Farm Sanctuary will continue its rescue and adoption programs and remain on-call for any emergency relief efforts.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Operating on a $5-million budget, 80% of Farm Sanctuary’s expenditures go directly towards its programming. Since much of the work at the New York City office and at both shelters is performed by volunteers, you can be confident your money is not going towards support services, but to fundraising and programming. 90% of Farm Sanctuary’s operating budget comes from its members, individuals like you who can make a positive impact in the lives of innocent animals. Your donations support legal advocacy, legislative projects, cruelty investigations, media outreach, public awareness and education projects, and direct rescue and shelter efforts.

Also, this might suck. It is not yet graded. I'm ripping more pictures off their website for you.


Escaped the horrors of Foie Gras * Poor Veal Calf Baby!

Love,
Calla and the Farm Sanctuary Animals (all thousands of them!!)