Join Our Fight Against Anti-Whistleblower "Ag-Gag" Laws

Thursday, March 6, 2014 - 10:45am
Little white lamb

You may have heard a lot of talk about Idaho recently, and it’s no small potatoes. Idaho’s governor, C.L. “Butch” Otter, recently signed into law a controversial anti-whistleblower “ag-gag” bill that punishes those who expose abusive conditions on factory farms. Though Governor Otter claims this law will keep agriculture producers “secure in their property,” we, and countless others concerned about the welfare of animals, are extremely concerned about the greater implications of ag-gag.

In passing this bill, Idaho became the seventh state to enact an ag-gag law. By effectively closing out journalists, investigators, and even the general public from animal production facilities, the agribusiness industry can continue to keep consumers in the dark about where their food is coming from.

We have seen countless instances of abuse on industrial farms, including the recent case of a Wisconsin dairy farm that produces cheese for the frozen pizza brand DiGiorno. Undercover footage taken by Mercy For Animals caught workers at this farm viciously kicking, stabbing, beating, and dragging cows, and the footage led to 11 charges of criminal animal cruelty. Without such footage, we may never have known of these horrors, and because of ag-gag laws, we may never learn of countless other, similar instances.

Sadly, these bills are popping up everywhere, and we’re up against a mighty opponent. We, and the animals, need your help to make sure that no more of these bills, or any others that imperil the lives of animals, pass into law.


For the animals, for the safety of our nation’s food supply, and for the health of you and your family, please stand with us today.

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It is ridiculous when abusers becomeuntouchable! SICKENING! How has it become a crime for witnesses to report to what they have seen? Not only abusers of animals but, people as well! ASPCA has the saying "We are their voice" TRUE!!! We have to stick up for animals, they don't have voices but they do have feelings and they do NOT deserve to be mistreated!!! I will NOT support such a disgusting law!
Do law makers REALLY understand LAW? Do they make laws to actually help or to hinder? You are right Jenny...These people need to be STOPPED!!! NOW!

Barbara Christensen

Mr. Butch Otter should be exposed as an embarrassment to his state. Do the PEOPLE in Utah really think it is OK,to prevent exposure of animal abuse? That there should be NO protection for the animals in Factory-Animal Warehouses (they certainly can NOT be called Farms)! The films that have been taken in these facilities need to be shown to mainstream America, where are you CNN? FOX? NBC? CBS? This is just another example of how obscene amounts of $$$$, and Lobbists, allows Humans to do dispicable things to animals, (AND to other Humans, for that matter) with no conscience. What they consider HUMANE somtimes tho, is what an animal can TOLERATE and remain living. (crowded, stressful, filthy, no sunshine, no movement, no natural interaction, no natural pro-creation, JUST eat and sleep)
If Mr. Otter is a "Rancher" I would THINK that he has SOME feelings about the humane treatment of animals, but maybe his popularity with the "Big Shot" Factory
"Ranchers" is more important to him. (Or maybe he just doesn't think that the public has a right to know how ANYONE mistreats animals?) These new laws need to be over turned, and the USDA and the FDA need to do their jobs, but they would never SEE the abuse that goes on, because the sneaky Slugs that do this really, disgusting stuff, do it when they think no one, with the any "power over them" is looking. And I would guess that most of the other employees who work with them, fear them, and are afraid to say anything to supervisors (IF a supervisior even cares) for fear of retaliation. If a Company has safe guards in place to insure that their animals are being treated humanely, they should welcome the information when they have a "whacko" working for them, so they can get rid of this person. It would make a better environment for the rest of their employees. The few videos I've seen are SO brutal, that I feel ill when when it's over, and at times have just had to shut it off. Where do these "Slugs" come from that they hire, and turn loose on these animals!? A few well placed, video cameras in barns could be helpful. People who work along side of these Creeps, must be afraid of them. If this Country is to continue eating Meat, Dairy, and Eggs we, as consumers, want to know that the animals that provide these foods are treated humanely. (I KNOW that word, humane, is in the eye of the beholder)! And I know that when it comes to the bottom dollar, "humanely", becomes a pretty blurred word. I think the best thing we can do as consumers, is to STOP consuming the products produced by these Huge Corporations, who should ,maybe, have no business being in Animal Husbandry. Put the animals back on family farms/ranches. We would all be healthier in the long run.


These laws are clearly unconstitutional. Why not have the ACLU sue Idaho? Force them to defend these laws in court. See how fast this law gets tossed out.

Come to think of it, why hasn't the ACLU been more aggressive in challenging these laws?

Barbara Los angeles

Ok seems folks are getting a little off subject here. Let's concentrate on what needs to be done and that is pressure exerted on those who decide what if any criminal charges are appropriate for perpetrators of animal abuse of any kind.
Companies, facotry farms, their employees or individuals should be prosecuted and those who uncover abuses should be praised and not villified.
Our society of late has flipped 180 degrees from praising whistle blowers to condemning them. Anyone who subjects themselves to going undercover to document animal abuse deserves all of our gratitude and protection.
Let our voices be heard for those who can not speak. Share far and wide this information and donate if even a little bit - just imagine how much good could be done if only $10.00 from a million supporters. Let's Do this people !!!


We need to kick the politicians out, boycott the corporations permanently, demand criminals are charged and serve time in jail and change the laws back to reflect that our society does not condone the mistreatment, torture, abuse and killing of defenseless animals. While money helps support the brave individuals going into film abuses, it starts in the hearts of people who deny, people who support killing and people who reject the concept of maltreatment of farm animals in our food chain. Boycott, vote, financially support and take to the streets to demand changes now.

M Fisher

Here is the thing.. ABUSERS do not pick on beings that are there size (not literally) they go after people that cannot defend themselves and animals who cannot defend themselves because humans corner them, restrain them whatever. Abusers need to be stopped! I tell yah.. if abusers were given 'Eye for Eye, Tooth for a Tooth' as the bible says MAYBE they would get it. These slap on the wrists is not working.


I am so disgusted, it is unbelievable what goes on and these monsters continue to get away with their behavior. Is there anything ASPCA can do about this???


It makes me sick to my stomach how these farm animals are treated. The abusers should be shot. As for eating dog, cat, and horse meat, that's disgusting. These animals are abused and killed horrifically. If you want to eat something different, eat your own kind.


we need to stop all animal abuse and punish all abusers to the fullest extent!


I can't believe there's a law to protect abusers of animals. What? Is there a law to protect child abusers too? Anyone who abuses innocents needs to be prosecuted (and when they die they need to go straight to hades).