The New Jersey Supreme Court has granted a petition to hear a landmark case challenging the state's "humane" standards for the treatment of farm animals. The decision was applauded by the broad coalition of humane organizations, farmers, veterinarians, and environmental and consumer groups, who petitioned the court in April 2007 to reverse a lower court's February 16, 2007 ruling upholding the New Jersey Department of Agriculture's (NJDA) approval of some of the most egregious factory farm abuses as "humane." The appeal goes beyond any previous legal action taken on behalf of farm animals in that it seeks a judicial declaration that many common factory farming practices are inhumane under New Jersey law.
"By hearing our appeal the court has chosen to examine the New Jersey Department of Agriculture's endorsement of cruelty to animals as a standard business practice," said Gene Baur, president of Farm Sanctuary. "As the only state in the union that requires a code of humane standards for farm animals, New Jersey has an opportunity to improve the quality of life for the state's farm animals, while influencing humane measures nationwide."
In 2004, this coalition of groups and individuals filed suit in the Appellate Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey alleging that the New Jersey Department of Agriculture has failed to establish standards of treatment of farm animals that are "humane"
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