Framgång i Ohio, USA

Idag kan vi fira en framgång för djuren i det stora landet till väster (och nej, jag menar inte Norge denna gång). Den stora och mäktiga djurindustrin i Ohio har fått baka på flera punkter, och t.ex. kommer inga nya hönsburar att få byggas - vilket bland annat innebär att ett initiativ som skulle inneburit att ytterligare sex miljoner hönor (jämför med fem miljoner hönor totalt i Sverige) hamnade i burar inte blir verklighet.

Från Farm Sanctuary:

"Over the past year, more than 500,000 Ohio citizens signed a petition aimed at placing an initiative on the statewide ballot this November to ban cruel factory farming practices. (...) However, at the eleventh hour, as it became clear that we had enough signatures to make it on the ballot, agribusiness came to the table and an agreement was brokered by Ohio's Governor Stickland. Here's what came of the agreement pertaining to farm animals:

• A ban on veal crates, to be phased out within six years, as outlined in the ballot initiative.
• A ban on new gestation crates in the state after December 31, 2010. Existing facilities are grandfathered, but must cease use of these crates within 15 years.
• A permanent moratorium on permits for new battery cage facilities in place immediately.
• A ban on the transport of downed cows and calves for slaughter, as outlined in the ballot initiative.
• A ban on strangulation and other forms of on farm killing that are not included in euthanasia standards as outlined by the American Veterinary Medical Association and part of the ballot initiative.
• Enactment of legislation establishing felony-level penalties for cock fighters.

This agreement didn't accomplish everything we would like, as quickly as we would like, but we will continue raising awareness and actively fighting to ban these intolerably cruel systems."