For Immediate Release: November 2, 2005

Contact: lauren Ornelas at 530/759-8482

Chicken Little May Think the End is Near: Activists Say His Time Has Come!

Animal protection advocates leaflet outside new Disney film in 40 U.S. cities to raise awareness on chickens in factory farms

Davis, CA…The non-profit vegetarian group Viva!USA is using the opening day of the movie “Chicken Little” as a springboard to inform the public about the treatment of chickens killed in the food industry.

On Friday, Nov. 4, groups of activists in more than 40 cities—including Chicago, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and New York—will gather outside movie theaters showing the new Disney film to distribute leaflets about inhumane conditions on chicken farms.

For more than a year, Viva!USA conducted investigations of chicken factory farms in California, including many facilities owned by industry giant Foster Farms. Viva!USA’s investigation uncovered incredible suffering and cruelty.

“We found birds suffering from ammonia burns, respiratory diseases, and horribly crippled legs,” said lauren Ornelas, U.S. Campaigns Director, Viva!USA. “We want to remind movie goers that they can take a stand against this cruelty simply by not eating chickens.”

“Every second, 269 chickens are killed for meat in the United States,” said Ornelas. “This is a form of suffering and cruelty that everyone can work to stop.”

Investigations into the farms found thousands of birds in sheds, the air filled with ammonia and the floor littered with dead birds. Selective breeding has caused these birds (called broiler chickens by the industry) to grow at such an unnaturally fast rate that their legs can barely hold up their swollen bodies. Some cannot even stand.

At 7 weeks old, when the birds are still chicks, they are hung upside down by their fragile legs and electrocuted into paralysis before having their throats slit. In 2002, approximately 2.6 million chickens were boiled alive, according to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Details and photos from Viva!USA’s investigation can be seen at www.vivachickens.com. Video footage is available on request.

Viva!USA conducts investigations of factory farms and its national headquarters are in Davis, CA. Viva!USA (www.vivausa.org) is part of an international animal protection organization based in England.

-ends-