John,
Hormel Foods claimed its products were “natural,” “wholesome,” and “honest.” But false ads and labels couldn’t hide the truth. The Animal Legal Defense Fund released undercover footage showing severe animal neglect and violations of animal protection laws at a pig breeding facility owned by The Maschhoffs, LLC, the third largest pig producer in the U.S. and a major supplier to Hormel Foods.
The footage captured pigs suffering for weeks with prolapsed rectums, intestinal ruptures, large open wounds, and bloody, baseball-sized ruptured cysts. For up to three consecutive days at a time, the pigs received no food. The investigation also documented cruel “standard industry practices,” which included confining mother pigs in crates so small that they could not turn around and killing small piglets by smashing their heads against the concrete floor. In the video, piglets who were smashed are seen moving, conscious and looking around, or convulsing, before they died.
Cases like this underscore the urgent need for your support now, when all gifts will be doubled up to a total of $100,000, to fight animal cruelty, hold abusers accountable, and protect innocent animals. |
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Following the investigation, we filed a lawsuit against Hormel Foods alleging the company was misleading consumers with its advertising. Despite Hormel’s claims about its products, the animals used to produce its meats were raised in egregious conditions and subjected to inhumane practices typical of factory farming.
This is a prime example of “humane-washing,” when companies like Hormel try to cover up animal abuse with deceptive labels. But your support means we can fight back in court. And today, when your first gift to the Animal Legal Defense Fund goes twice as far, it’s even more important to contribute to the fight for animals.
Humane-washing is the practice of making a misleading claim about the treatment of animals or the conditions in which they are born, raised, or killed. Examples include using terms like “natural,” “cage-free,” or “responsibly raised” on labels or in marketing; using imagery on product labels showing animals in picturesque green pastures when they are actually warehoused in dark buildings; and multi-million dollar marketing campaigns misrepresenting products from animals raised on large factory farms as “local” food coming from “family farms.”
These tactics deprive consumers of the ability to make meaningful, informed decisions about their purchases and allow companies to continue profiting from cruelty, despite consumer preference for better treatment of animals. When companies like Hormel engage in humane-washing, we file lawsuits to stop their misleading, illegal conduct — thereby protecting farmed animals and ensuring consumers can make choices based on truthful information.
But we can’t wage — and win — these important legal battles without you. Every donation strengthens our fight against even the most powerful entities that exploit animals. So please join us and take advantage of this $100,000 matching gift offer now.
Our battles are long and hard, but with you beside us, we can win justice and secure stronger legal protections for animals. Please stand with us today. |
For the animals,
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Tony Eliseuson
Litigation Program Director
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This email was sent to [email protected].
© 2020 Animal Legal Defense Fund
525 East Cotati Avenue, Cotati, CA 94931 | (707) 795-2533 |
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