On the corner of Kincaid Street and East 13th Avenue, in front of Taylor’s Bar and Grille, Mercy for Animals projected jarring footage of animal cruelty in factory farms on an 80-inch TV screen Wednesday night.
“It’s horrifying,” said Eugene resident Deborah Blair, who viewed the video for the first time. “It makes me acutely aware of the scale of suffering that is going on around the world.”@@http://www.mylife.com/deborahblaircowden@@
Mercy for Animals, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing cruelty to farmed animals and promoting compassionate food choices and policies, is traveling to more than 40 cities for the Farm to Fridge Tour. The nationwide tour aims to expose consumers to the mistreatment of animals in factory farms, hatcheries and slaughterhouses through educational outreach events and a screening of the powerful “Farm to Fridge” documentary.
“The response has been incredible,” Tour Coordinator Phil Letten said. “We have already spoken to numerous people nationwide who have been moved to adopt a vegetarian diet after viewing the ‘Farm to Fridge.’”@@http://mercyforanimals.org/bio-phil-letten.aspx@@
The “Farm to Fridge” campaign started March 7 in Las Vegas. For Eugene’s stop, the campaign held two events — a day of distributing pamphlets on the ill-treatment of animals and answering questions, which carried over with the film’s showing at night. The 12-minute informative documentary is a disturbing exploration of the nation’s industrial poultry, pig, dairy and fish farms. Using images recorded on a hidden camera, the film focuses on the harsh reality that animals endure.
“Not a single federal law provides protection to farmed animals during their lives on factory farms — meaning billions of animals are subjected to intensive confinement, painful mutilations without any painkillers, abusive handling and cruel slaughter each year in this country,” Letten said.
With large signs detailing gruesome depictions of poultry and declaring “MEAT = ANIMAL CRUELTY,” MFA volunteers have received mixed responses from community members and students. Sierra Gabrielson, a junior at South Eugene High School, said a number of people have praised their cause, while others simply believe they’re protesting one side of animal care and not advocating sustainable practices.
“I definitely think it’s effective,” Gabrielson said. “I think that it might not make everyone vegetarian, but people will learn more about what happens in factory farms.”
MFA started in 1999 with the belief that all animals have intelligent personalities, care about their lives and are morally significant. MFA is dedicated to educate the public with several campaigns, each describing the inhumanity toward animals through abuse, exploitation and viewing them as commodities. MFA uses campaigns such as the “Farm to Fridge” documentary tour, undercover investigations of factory farms and vegetarian feed-ins to help diversify animal advocacy, advance cruelty-free food choices and adopt a vegan diet.
“Consumers have the right to know where their food comes from and how the animals are treated before they reach our plates.” Letten said.