Viva! USA
P.O. Box 4398
Davis, CA 95617
Tel: 530/759-viva (8482)
Fax: 530/759-8487
Email: info@vivausa.org
Watch Viva!'s undercover
video on duck farming in the USA.
|
Animal
Friends,
Please take the time to write
a few letter THIS WEEK. We need you to make your voice heard for
the 24 million ducks killed on factory farms each year.
Viva! USA launched its campaign
against factory farmed duck meat in September 2000. In April 2001,
Viva! USA received a letter from Traders
Joe's stating that they were
"no longer [placing] any more orders for duck meat."
This letter was from Chairman and CEO of Trader Joe's, John Shields.
Apparently, Mr. Shields retired
shortly after writing this letter. Since Mr. Shields' retirement,
it has come to Viva!'s attention that Trader Joe's east coast
stores are still selling duck meat from Grimaud Farms, one of
the companies that Viva! investigated (Click
here for information). The new CEO, Mr. Dan Bane, has written
to Viva! and stated that no corporate decision has been formally
made at this time to stop the sale of duck meat.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Please write to the new CEO
of Trader Joe's and encourage them to adopt a duck-free policy:
Dan Bane
CEO
Trader Joe's
PO Box 5049
800 South Shamrock Avenue
Monrovia, CA 91016
T: 626-599-3700
F: 626-301-4441
In addition, please contact
the President of the East Coast division (which includes all stores
east of the Mississippi River) of Trader Joe's, which is currently
still selling duck meat from Grimaud Farms.
Doug Rauch, President
East Coast Office
Trader Joe's
938 Highland Ave.
Needham Heights, MA 02494
Direct Line: 781-433-0182x111
Switchboard: 781-433-0234
Talking Points:
- Ducks who live in factories
never have access to outdoors and are only given water in mechanical
drinkers, thus depriving them of their natural aquatic habitat.
They do not have enough water to preen properly and find it
difficult to keep warm. Without enough water to immerse themselves,
they may develop eye problems that can result in blindness.
- In the US, thousands of
ducks are boiled alive in the slaughterhouse.
- Grimaud Farms practices
de-billing, a cruel and painful practice which involves
amputating a portion of their bills.
If you are a regular shopper at Trader Joe's:
- Please write to the addresses
above and be sure to specify that you are a customer of theirs.
- If you have any receipts
from Trader Joe's, be sure to include them.
- Speak to your store manager
about this very important issue so that s/he can relay the message
to the corporate office.
According to Trader Joe's
they will let their customers decide.
Finally, don't forget Duck
Week -- September 10-16. To check
for events in
your area (or to set one up), contact us or visit our website!
The more education that is done on this issue, the less the consumer
demand.
|