PETA's Kentucky-Fried Campaign: A Petition Against KFC

Channie Lee, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Nov 14, 2007 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."

The delicious chicken and the cheap, affordable deals every week have many of us flocking to KFC for a snack or a meal - after all, it's not only convenient, it's also cheap. However, not many of us are aware of how KFC treats their chicken or are aware of PETA's Kentucky Fried Campaign that protests against Kentucky's cruelty towards the chicken. PETA hopes that the petition campaign will convince KFC to change their ways, and treat chicken in a more humane way by using other methods.

According to PETA, KFC does not listen to the advice that their own animal welfare advisors give them; in fact, they did not even bat an eyelash when PETA issued a warning as they were going to set-up an investigation. PETA claims that Adele Douglas, a member of KFC's animal welfare advisors said, "never had any meetings. They never asked any advice, and then they touted to the press that they had this animal-welfare advisory committee." Many of KFC advisors have felt frustrated and used by the situation, and resigned.

A popular phrase is that if a warehouse had glass walls, almost everyone would become a vegetarian. KFC slaughter houses are placed in locations that are hardly noticeable, and the not many people are exposed to what occurs in the warehouses.

PETA, on their Kentucky Fried Cruelty website, claims that they sent undercover investigators to the KFC warehouses, and learned some shocking truths towards the cruelty of the chicken. For one, the chickens are fed unhealthily, and grown up to be over-sized. They are also squeezed into small cages that have broken bars, and can potentially cause many broken feet and wings. The chickens have to deal with horrible living conditions where they are often so squished that they are covered with dirt and each other's feces; also, their cages stink of ammonia fumes. The birds are slaughtered by having their throats slit; those who avoided it would be dumped along with the other chicken into scalding, hot water, and scald to death. Lastly, many workers can frequently abuse the chicken without facing any consequences. Over 850 million chickens are killed each year, and many of them have to suffer.

PETA's petition also has many supports from celebrities and people all over the world. Pamela Anderson, Pink, Sir Paul McCartney, Fall Out Boy, and Black-eyed peas are just among a few that have signed the petition.

The KFC petition asks KFC to breed for health rather than profit and growth, switch to mechanized chicken gathering which would limit the injuries involved, switch to controlled-atmosphere killing which would prevent the suffering of being abused by the workers, getting their throats slit, and being dumped into scalding hot water while still alive.

PETA asks you to help the chicken by signing the petition, demonstrating at KFC, being an online activist, write to KFC, etc. You can go to www.kentuckyfriedcruelty.com to learn all about this petition.

Published by Channie Lee

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