Animal Place

A few disgruntled Californian chefs want to force the rest of us to endorse wholesale animal cruelty for a product few consume.

Foie gras. It sells for $45-55/lb. A tube is violently shoved down the throat of ducks (and geese) and 1-2 pounds of corn-fat mash is funneled into the duck. As they lack a natural gag reflex, the duck has no ability to regurgitate the excessive feed.

Like veal, the flesh of a crated-male dairy calf, most consumers avoid foie gras. Not only because it is extraordinarily expensive, but because of the inherent cruelty necessary to produce it.

In 2004, California’s state legislature enacted a law that gave foie gras producers more than 7 years to find a “nice” way to unnaturally engorge the liver of a confined duck. Otherwise, foie gras (from forced-fed ducks) would be banned from the California marketplace.

The only foie gras producer in California was unable to do so.

With only two months to go, a 100 chefs formed a coalition to attempt overturning the ban legislatively. They have waited literally 7.5 years to fight against a method of producing foie-gras that 80% of Americans oppose.

They have been raising money off of the suffering these ducks endure during life and slaughter by hosting expensive foie-gras multi-course meals.

Dana Portnoy and other activists have been coordinating peaceful protests outside of these restaurants. In fact, Dana is one of several undercover investigators who visited the only producer of foie gras in the state, Sonoma Foie Gras.

“We documented horrific conditions: ducks that could not get up, ducks that had difficulty standing, walking and breathing.  They were all panting, which is a sign of extreme stress.  They were covered in their own waste, blood and regurgitated food.  There were dead ducks inside the pens and ducks that were on the verge of death.  We saw trashcans filled with dead ducks.  Our footage can be found at www.stopforcefeeding.com.”

To be clear, Animal Place opposes the raising of animals for their flesh, dairy products and eggs. This includes slaughtering ducks for engorged livers or their flesh.

Take Action:

Californians, please use our form to contact your state Senator and Representative, encouraging them to oppose all efforts to overturn this progressive piece of animal legislation.