Thanks to all of you who wrote letters and made calls in support of the anti-foie gras bill in California (S.B. 1520), including California residents Pamela Anderson, Martin Sheen (who wrote a letter to members of the Assembly committee reviewing the bill), and Bea Arthur (who testified in support of the bill at a Senate hearing). S.B. 1520 was signed into law by the governor on September 29, 2004. This compassionate measure, introduced by Sen. John Burton, will completely ban the production and sale of foie gras after a 7.5-year phase-out period. California is home to Sonoma Foie Gras, one of only two U.S. foie gras producers.
Foie gras is produced by force-feeding ducks or geese up to three times per day by prying open their bills, shoving long, inflexible pipes down their throats, and pumping several pounds of feed into each bird's stomach. The process causes the birds' livers, which are eventually sold as foie gras, to become diseased and swell to up to 10 times their normal size. Some birds experience ripped-open necks and ruptured internal organs because of the intense pressure of the forced feeding. Workers are often given monetary rewards just for not "bursting" birds. The stress and pain frequently result in the birds' becoming unable to walk and being reduced to propelling themselves by pushing with their wings.
Please write a polite letter of thanks to Sen. Burton for introducing S.B. 1520 and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for signing it:
The Honorable John Burton
President Pro Tem
California State Senate
State Capitol, Rm. 205
Sacramento, CA 95814
The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger
Governor of California
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Thank you again for all your efforts to help alleviate suffering for ducks and geese in California!
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Watch GourmetCruelty.com's undercover investigation at Sonoma Foie Gras
The Grief Behind Foie Gras
