PETA's Burger King Shareholder Statement, November 9, 2000

Hello, my name is Andrew Butler, and I'm with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. On behalf of PETA's more than 700,000 members worldwide, I would like to ask you a question: Will Burger King make a commitment to reduce animal suffering by instituting basic reforms?

As I stand here before you, Burger King's U.S. suppliers use an array of practices so abusive they are illegal in the UK and will soon be illegal across the European Union. For months, PETA has asked for a copy of your company's standards for the welfare of animals raised by its U.S. suppliers of beef, pork, chicken, egg and dairy products. So far, our requests have been ignored. Our first request followed the filing of a formal complaint by the Washington State Attorney General's Office alleging inhumane conditions at the IBP company, Burger King's largest supplier of beef. Former workers who filed affidavits to accompany the complaint allege excessive use of electric prods to speed cows through slaughter; improper stunning; and the dismembering of cattle who are still conscious.

While Burger King has turned its back on our requests, McDonald's in the U.S. has developed an auditing procedure for its slaughterhouses; instituted a procedure to alleviate the suffering of chickens during the "catching" process, in preparation for travel to the slaughterhouse; required its egg suppliers to phase out forced molting, the starving and dehydrating of hens; and required egg suppliers to provide hens with a minimum of 72 square inches of space.

We ask Burger King to match, and indeed surpass, McDonald's commitment to animal welfare by taking the following steps:

1. Ensure 100 percent stunning efficacy for cows and pigs
2. Conduct unannounced audits at all slaughterhouses.
3. Stop buying eggs from suppliers that give hens less than 72 square inches of space per bird, and phase out purchases from U.S. suppliers that raise hen battery cages.
4. Stop buying eggs from suppliers that use forced molting to increase egg production.
5. Buy chicken products only from suppliers that do not de-beak chickens.
6. Institute humane guidelines for methods of catching chickens.

Most of these steps are no more than legal requirements in the U.K. All of them should be implemented immediately in the name of human decency.

I will close by again asking: Will Burger King make a commitment to reduce animal suffering by instituting basic reforms?

Thank you.