On April 20, a petition was filed with the Supreme Court to revisit a landmark case challenging the New Jersey Department of Agriculture's (NJDA) mandated "humane" standards for farm animals.
A broad coalition of humane organizations, farmers, veterinarians, environmental and consumer groups are calling on the court to decide if the New Jersey State Appellate Division NJDA has failed to uphold the law concerning humane standards for farm animals. The New Jersey legislature required the NJDA to adhere to humane standards in 1996. NJDA has instead sanctioned numerous inhumane practices used to raise animals for meat, eggs and milk on industrialized factory farms. Despite monumental public opposition, these cruel and unethical practices were ruled legal by the New Jersey Appellate Division in February 2007.
The Appeal will continue to seek a judicial declaration that many regulations that authorize cruel factory farming practices are illegal under New Jersey law. The Coalition's continued fight goes beyond any previous legal action taken on behalf of farm animals in the United States.
The plaintiffs include Farm Sanctuary, the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, The Humane Society of the United States, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Animal Welfare Institute, Animal Welfare Advocacy, Saving Our Resources Today, Center for Food Safety, the Organic Consumers Association, farmers and citizens.
The NJDA regulations permit numerous inhumane farming practices, including:
- Confining pregnant pigs for months at a time in gestation crates, individual metal enclosures too small for them to turn around;
- Tethering and restrictively confining calves raised for veal to prevent them from exercising, so their muscles can't develop and remain soft; and
- Mutilations without anesthesia, including castration, de-beaking, de-toeing and tail docking.
"To allow these confinement systems and mutilations constitutes a breach in understanding of the word
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