Colorado to phase out gestation and veal crates

[flvegan]

The Humane Society of the United States and Leading Colorado Agriculture Groups Work Together to Pass Legislation to Phase Out Veal Crates, Gestation Crates

The House today gave final approval to landmark legislation to phase out the use of veal crates and gestation crates in Colorado. The measure came at the recommendation of an unlikely coalition of Colorado-based animal agriculture organizations and The Humane Society of the United States. SB 201 was introduced by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Jim Isgar (D-Hesperus) and House Agriculture Committee Chair Kathleen Curry (D-Gunnison). Governor Bill Ritter and Agriculture Commissioner John Stulp played a crucial and leading role in the negotiations.

Governor Ritter has promised to sign the legislation, and The Humane Society of the United States has agreed to officially withdraw an initiative petition on the same subject. SB 201 phases out veal crates within four years, and it phases out gestation crates within 10 years. It also jumpstarts a process, to be administered by the Agriculture Commissioner, to allow for ongoing deliberation about animal welfare issues in animal agriculture.

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Across Colorado, nearly 150,000 breeding pigs are confined in gestation crates. While there is no current veal industry in the state, Colorado's sizable dairy industry could potentially attract veal operations, and the veal crate provision was a preemptive measure.

http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/coloradogestationcrate040708.html

Up next, California this coming November.

http://www.humanecalifornia.org/

[blondie58]

1. Yeah!!!, I didn't realize that my state was so progressive in this matter!

from my reading about vegetarianism, I didn't realize that veal was a direct by-product of the dairy industry. "Metaphorically, there is a hunk of veal in every glass of milk." Steven Gross, Ph. D.

What horrible, inhumane treatment that veal calves receive. In one article that I read, it states that they are often deliberately kept anemic, purely to keep their flesh light colored, as it receives a higher price at restaurants. The poor little male calves are taken from their mothers as early as one day old.

Thanks for posting this, Fivegan.

Cows are beautiful animals. The first time that I went to Europe, I spent about three weeks in Switzerland and fell in love with all of the cows that seem to roam freely in the countryside. In Colorado here, every June is National Dairy Month, where you can visit a dairy farm. I have taken my kids to one before, as I love to see a cows beautiful eyes close up, but I would have a hard time now, knowing what happens behind the scenes.