New report questions the happiness of free-range birds

As World Poultry reported yesterday, the University of Sydney released the results of a new study about the welfare of egg-laying chickens in free range systems:

"Researchers have discovered that free range hens experience just as much or more stress than hens raised in modern, conventional cages. This is contrary to allegations of animal rights activists saying that hens in modern cages live a horribly stressed life. Dr. Jeff Downing at the University of Sydney, conducted a recent study measuring corticosterone, a hormone produced in response to stress or fear, in eggs from free range and modern caged hens. In both types of eggs, levels of the hormone were similar."

The report is illuminating. But, is it entirely accurate? It's important to examine a full range of statements by poultry scientists and experts to arrive an educated conclusion. Read up on now!

A Year-End Pop Quiz From East Bay Animal Advocates

An East Bay Animal Advocates annual dispatch would not be complete without a piece of quirky trivia. California has some bizarre laws on the books. We would like to take this opportunity to quiz you on your knowledge of irrelevant legal information:

Question: In the Golden State, it is legal to throw which two items from a moving vehicle?

While you ponder your answer to the question, we would like to extend our sincere appreciation for your support for animal protection. Thanks to your care and concern, EBAA efforts have steadily grown over the past four years to advocate on behalf of millions of animals abused in California agriculture. EBAA is delighted to remember our triumphs for the year. Our 2007 scrapbook includes:

• The debut of our vivid magazine The Advocate

• Rescues of egg-laying hens from factory egg farms

• Prominent media spotlights from news services like CNN Money, Associated Press and East Bay Business Times

• Formal recognition from the Internal Revenue Service of our organization's tax-exempt status

• The creation of our organization's strategic plan with the guidance from acclaimed Compass Point Nonprofit Services

• Corporate partnerships with local retailers like Rainbow Grocery and Farmer Joe's Marketplace

• The launch of our Holiday Facts advertising campaign with The San Francisco Chronicle

For the New Year, we are gearing up for the release of new reports on animal food production and kind-hearted campaign antics to persuade Lunardi's Supermarket to end the sale of battery cage eggs. We are also supporting Californians for Humane Farms.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your commitment to protecting those in need. We invite you to explore www.SupportEBAA.org for a variety of ways to contribute to our advocacy work.

Before our year-end departure, we have a retort to the question asked earlier.

Answer: Clear water and feathers from live birds are the only contents that may be legally ejected from vehicles in California.

East Bay Animal Advocates promises to uphold our commitment to protect animals abused in California food production. Our New Year's Resolution is a simple task: Follow the feathers.

Reading is the key to staying warm this winter.

Californians are known for their sensitivity to colder temperatures (i.e. 65° F or below). With the winter season upon us, what better way to beat the cold than to read a good book by a roaring fire. EBAA has the perfect paperback recommendation for the shivering book-worm: Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism.

Written by the dynamic Mark Hawthorne, the new book, which spotlights our work, "brings together the most effective tactics for speaking out for animals and gives voice to activists from around the globe, who explain why their models of activism have been successful – and how you can get involved. Concise and full of practical examples and resources, this guide dispels the myths surrounding animal activism and will empower you to make the most of your skills."

Read an excerpt from the book and order a copy of it today. Don't forget to stay warm this winter too!

Our last service day of the year is this Saturday!

Help out at Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary in Stockton this Saturday, December 8 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Please bring a cardboard box for the bunnies!

Saturday's Farm Agenda:

• •Dust the chickens
• Build play structures for the rabbits
• Clean out the goat barn
  

To participate, please send an email to volunteer@eastbayanimaladvocates.org by Friday, December 7 at 3:00 PM. You will receive driving directions in the email response. Please wear comfortable shoes and warm clothing. We will provide tofu dogs and drinks for everyone.

"The Advocate" is now online: Read it, share it.

Download a free copy of EBAA's Debut Print Magazine: The Advocate. It's chock-full of interesting campaign and investigative projects we are currently working on. For the past four years, our efforts have steadily grown to advocate on behalf of millions of animals abused in California agriculture. Our new magazine is a celebration of our work and your wonderful support!

Thanksgiving roundup

As Californians gathered around the dinner-table yesterday, EBAA continued its public outreach for poultry. KPFA Radio featured an interview with EBAA on the Evening News concerning the treatment of turkeys at slaughterhouses in the United States. Tune in to the 4-minute poultry segment, which begins at minute 12:20.

Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend!

Federal judge gobbles up courtroom contentions for turkeys

Currently, East Bay Animal Advocates along with The Humane Society of the United States, Mississippi Poultry Workers Equality and Respect, Western North Carolina Workers Center and several poultry consumers are challenging the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s policy of excluding turkeys, chickens, and other birds killed for human consumption from the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act of 1958.

Marilyn Hall Patel, the federal judge presiding over the case, heard arguments for the lawsuit earlier this week in San Francisco. Read a news report from The Poutlry Site about the case. Plus, check out this informative news report from KTVU-2.

Don’t forget to voice for your concern for poultry. Write a quick letter to the USDA today.

There’s a story behind the photograph featured in today's blog. Earlier this month, a hundred car collusion occurred along Highway 99 near Fresno. As The Associated Press image reveals, a live-haul turkey truck bound for the slaughterhouse was involved in the large-scale crash.

The journey to the slaughterhouse is a nightmare. Please educate yourself about the lives of turkeys in the meat industry.

What's for dinner this holiday season?

Every year over 15 million turkeys are killed for human consumption in California. Today, turkeys are raised under a set of conditions vastly different from what the poultry industry communicates to the public. Modern turkey production commonly induces prolonged pain and suffering in birds raised for meat. We invite you to learn more about this important topic:

Click here to read about California's turkey production.

Click here to discover the free-range turkey myth.

Click here to learn about animal suffering in the U.S. turkey industry.

Throughout the 2007 holiday season, EBAA will be sponsoring an ad campaign with The San Francisco Chronicle. Our new online ad will be featured on the Chronicle's website to educate millions of California consumers about modern turkey production practices.

State agrees to relocate Martinez beavers

Thanks for writing the City of Martinez. Public pressure did the trick!

The Contra Costa Times reports today:

"The state has agreed to issue a relocation permit for a family of beavers in Martinez, amid an outcry from children and nature lovers over a city conclusion that the creatures should be killed and their dam removed to prevent downtown flooding.

The beavers will be trapped by the Lindsay Wildlife Museum, which will evaluate their health, and they will be released later in an area approved by the state, said Martinez Mayor Rob Schroder and California Department of Fish and Game spokesman Steve Martarano.

'After a quick survey, I've gotten 150 e-mails, 100 percent of them say don't kill the beavers,' said Schroder, who approached the state Monday through labor leader Jim Kellogg, who is a member of the Fish and Game Commission."

We are busy bees this week!

November is a hectic time for us. But, staying busy keeps us out of trouble, of course!

If you have some free time this week, why don’t you join us for some outreach?

• Tonight will be gathering signatures and preparing a magazine mailing at Pizza Plaza at 7pm. From 5 PM to 11 PM, Pizza Plaza will donate ten-percent of your bill to EBAA.
• Saturday is our monthly Work Day at Harvest Home. Then, we are rolling out to Richmond’s Point Isabel for more signatures for the Humane California Campaign.
• We will be back at Point Isabel on Sunday for ballot initiative signings.
• On Monday, EBAA will present at Menlo College and Menlo School in Atherton on the topics of animal welfare and egg production.

Shoot us an email to participate: volunteer@eastbayanimaladvocates.org

Leave it to the beavers.

Although EBAA’s efforts are focused namely on the humane treatment of animals in agriculture, a very important wildlife matter is pending locally that we wanted to share with you. The City of Martinez is reviewing a proposal to euthanize an active family of beavers that have assembled a dam along Alhambra Creek. Read up on this issue online now.

Please join EBAA in voicing opposition to this unnecessary plan. There are a variety of humane options city officials must consider. Please contact the Martinez City Council today. If you live in Martinez, attend the Martinez City Council meeting on Wednesday, November 7 at 7:00 PM at City Hall (525 Henrietta Street in Downtown Martinez).

How can you say NO?

Shaken or stirred, the initial phase of the Humane California Campaign is a numbers game. In less than five months, 650,000 signatures need to be gathered in California to qualify the farm animal reform initiative for the November 2008 ballot.

Reaching the signature goal by the end of February may seem like an act of God. In reality, it’s the action of a solid network of committed volunteers that will move this campaign forward.

Please join us for weekly signature gathering sessions in the East Bay. Click here for the upcoming dates, times and locations. To sweeten the deal, EBAA will buy you a free t-shirt for volunteering.

How can you say NO to this proposition?

One-hour of your time will go a long-way to making this campaign a true mark of success.

Speaking of mark, check out this campaign article written by Mark Hawthorne, author of the soon-to-be-released Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism.

Does California really need another slaughterhouse?

The City of Tulare has its sights on the development of a new slaughterhouse. To the detriment of animals, water/air quality and public lands, the proposed plant would allow for the slaughter of 1,600 cattle daily. Visit the Grace Factory Farm Project to learn about the impact of intensive beef production. This website is a wonderful resource for fact-hungry consumers and advocates. Also, take a peak at EBAA’s report on dairy cow production in the Golden State.

Public comments are welcome regarding Tulare's slaughterhouse proposal. Share your concerns with the Tulare Planning Department by November 15, 2007:

Mark Kielty, ACIP
City of Tulare Planning Dept.
411 East Kern Ave.
Tulare, CA 93274
Tel: (559) 684-4217

Consumers express views on farm animal welfare

The American Farm Bureau Federation funded a new survey to examine the public's concern over farm animal welfare. Read this excerpt from Feedstuffs:

"Perhaps the most contentious and emotional issue in livestock agriculture is that of farm animal welfare. Modern animal production practices are regularly criticized by animal rights groups, defended by livestock industries and studied by scientists.

The animal welfare debate is far more than a war of words. It has led to legislative action and is influencing consumer demand in a way that could profoundly affect agricultural markets.

Victories by animal rights groups are occurring at a rapid pace. For example, citizens in Arizona and Florida recently voted to ban the use of gestation crates, and similar referenda are being planned for other states."

Learn more about the survey results online.

New website campaign takes aim at popular dairy companies

The confinement of thousands of newborn female calves in small crates is a growing feature of California dairy production. Over the last few years, EBAA has documented the lives of these young animals. In fact, EBAA visited Mendes Calf Ranch in Tipton, California last year to capture documentation. Using our video documentation, the Animal Legal Defense Fund subsequently filed a lawsuit against Mendes, challenging the ranch's animal confinement practices. Land O'Lakes and Challenge Dairy are two of the dairy producers that use milk from calves confined at Mendes. A new website (FreeBabyMendes.com) was launched this week to educate the public on this important issue. It's time to let dairy producers know that this practice is unnecessary — and unacceptable.

Democracy never tasted so sweet in the Golden State

Last night, the Ballot Initiative Campaign Rally kicked off in San Francisco with a strong show of support from Bay Area residents. Over 140 local animal advocates packed the halls of the SF/SPCA to learn more about the benchmark drive to protect millions of animals in California agriculture.

EBAA is committed to providing a strong base of support throughout the 13-month campaign to enact the California Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act into law. In fact, EBAA volunteers have signed on to collect at least 6,000 signatures before February 28, 2008. Our signature gathering efforts will be folded together with our public outreach for the Lunardi's Abuse Campaign. All signature gathering volunteers must be registered voters. To register, please click here.

The Associated Press and Capital Press ran news stories this week about the new campaign to ban battery cages, veal crates and gestation stalls in the Golden State. Read an excerpt from the news story from The Associated Press:

"Nineteen million chickens in California produce about five billion eggs a year — making them the nation's fifth-largest supplier of omelets and scrambled eggs. Now, animal welfare groups hope to change the way the hens live and lay. The groups are collecting signatures for a ballot initiative to give the hens more room to roam. The measure would force farmers to change current practices that keep most egg-laying hens, veal calves and pregnant pigs in small cages or boxes for most of their lives. It would require that enclosures be big enough for the animals to fully extend their wings or legs, lie down, stand up and turn around."

Over the last several years, EBAA has examined the actual living conditions of animals in agriculture, especially egg-laying chickens, in the California's Central Valley. Watch our mini-documentary about California egg production.

To learn more about animal cruelty in California agriculture, visit our online hub.

9/28 Dessert Soiree with Dan Piraro: A Benefit for EBAA

Dan Piraro--the famous cartoonist behind Bizarro and tireless animal rights activist--will highlight the upcoming house party fundraiser for East Bay Animal Advocates:

Date: Friday, September 28th

Time: 7 PM - 9:30 PM

Location: 345 Haddon Road, Oakland

Don't miss this special event:

• Celebrate the debut of our vivid magazine, The Advocate


• Help raise funds for EBAA's provocative ad campaigns


• Munch on vegan desserts


• Down some good ol' wine

Piraro, a vegan, presents animal rights issues in a humorous wayin his comic strips. "Bizarro" is distributed internationally byKing Features Syndicate to more than 250 daily and Sunday newspapers. Piraro also reaches out to loyal readers and createsnew ones by bringing his own live comedy show, "The Bizarro Bologna Show."

Please RSVP to info@eastbayanimaladvocates.org.

Help Prevent Farm Animal Cruelty in California

CAMPAIGN KICK OFF & SIGNATURE GATHERING RALLY

We need your immediate help to put a measure on the 2008 ballot that would outlaw the cruel confinement of veal calves, egg-laying hens, and breeding pigs. This important measure will phase out the use of the gestation crate for pigs, the battery cage for egg-laying hens and prevent the use of the “veal crate” for male calves. We need your help to collect 650,000 signatures in five short months to qualify this initiative for the November 2008 ballot. Become a crucial member of the team of volunteers that will put this precedent-setting measure on the ballot! Come hear about the campaign and how YOU can get involved in this amazing effort for farm animals!

Special Guests:

• Wayne Pacelle, CEO/President, The Humane Society of the U.S.
• Gene Baur, Founder/President, Farm Sanctuary

Please Attend a Kick-off Rally Near You:

SACRAMENTO

Monday, October 1st
7:00pm – 10:00pm
Sacramento SPCA
6201 Florin Perkins Rd
Sacramento, CA 95828

SAN FRANCISCO

Tuesday, October 2nd
7:00pm – 10:00pm
San Francisco SPCA
2500 16th St
San Francisco, CA 94103

SANTA BARBARA/MONTECITO

Wednesday, October 3rd
6:00pm - 9:00pm
Montecito Fire District Conference Room
Upper Montecito Village
595 San Ysidro Road
Montecito, CA 93108

LOS ANGELES

Thursday, October 4th
7:00pm – 10:00pm
LA Animal Services – East Valley Shelter
14409 Vanowen Street
Van Nuys, CA 91405

SAN DIEGO

Friday, October 5th
7:00pm – 10:00pm
Health Services Complex - Rosencrans
3851 Rosecrans Street
San Diego, CA 92110

Join EBAA for an Exclusive Book Release Party

Please join East Bay Animal Advocates and Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary for a very special event: a book release party for an important new book on animal protection!

Longtime Bay Area animal advocates Erin Williams and Margo DeMello will discuss and sign copies of their new book, Why Animals Matter: The Case for Animal Protection. The book examines how people abuse animals, gives suggestions on how to take action--and connects animal protection, environmental and social justice issues. Free vegan food will be available, and you'll be able to meet the animals of Harvest Home.

What: Why Animals Matter book release party
Where: Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary, 14741 Wing Levee Road, Stockton
When: Sunday, October 7, 1:00-4:00

What people are saying about the new book?

"A tough but fair-minded revelation of how mass production of animals for food and other purposes results in cruelty that usually remains hidden from sight." - Publishers Weekly

"A compelling resource that is certain to widen our circle of compassion." - VegNews

To RSVP, email info@eastbayanimaladvocates.org.

EBAA takes a trip to Marin Sun Farms

Earlier this summer, a member of East Bay Animal Advocates visited Marin Sun Farms, a small-scale poultry egg/meat and beef producer in Northern California. With National Chicken Month in full-swing, EBAA would like to share with you a slideshow from the visit to the farm.

The San Francisco Chronicle published a feature this week about "raising poultry the new-old way", which features Marin Sun Farms and other small poultry farmers. Read an excerpt:


"As Karen Black, executive director of the American Pastured Poultry Producers Association and an Oregon chicken rancher, put it: 'There's a reason Foster Farms isn't raising their poultry on pasture.' The new demand for pastured poultry is a reaction against the extremes of commercial chicken production - cages, crowding, breeding chicks for breasts so broad they can't walk and die of a heart attack."

Lunardi's Closure Upsets San Jose Neighborhood (Not the Chickens)

In a blink of an eye, Lunardi's Supermarket chain has reduced in size. But, egg-laying chickens are not squawking over this recent development. Read the news report from NBC-11:

"SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Dozens of people lent their signatures Tuesday to an effort to save a popular San Jose grocery store, NBC11's Daniel Garza reported. Shoppers said they began to hear by word of mouth about the closure just days before Lunardi's in the Evergreen Village Square would shut its doors at the end of the Tuesday business day."

View the video news report.

EBAA's Eight-Day Shopping Spree at Lunardi's: Let's pluck 'em dry!

Tony Lucia, the General Manager of Lunardi's Supermarket, proclaims: "Lunardi's considers the proper treatment of animals to be of critical concern…we share the same concern and compassion for proper animal treatment as most Americans." So, why won't Lunardi's give an inch on its company egg policy?

Unlike its main competitors, Andronico's Market and Whole Foods Market, Lunardi's thinks cramming chickens in cages for their entire lives is "proper animal treatment". Sadly, Lunardi's is out of step with reality and the concerns of its own shoppers.

Bay Area consumers and store employees agree that Lunardi's must ban the sale of battery-cage eggs (online http://www.cal-eggs.com/).

Join East Bay Animal Advocates for an eight-day advocacy campaign at the beginning of September's National Chicken Month. From September 4 to September 11, make an important phone call or fax a letter to a selected Lunardi's store location:

September 4: Danville Store
Telephone: 925-855-8920
Fax: 925-855-8928

September 5: Walnut Creek Store
Telephone: 925-939-6477
Fax: 925-939-7361

September 6: San Bruno Store
Telephone: 650-952-2851
Fax: 650-952-2105

September 7: Los Gatos Store
Telephone: 408-358-1731
Fax: 408-358-6232

September 8: Belmont Store
Telephone: 650-591-5768
Fax: 650-591-1868

September 10: San Jose Store
Telephone: 408-265-9101
Fax: 408-265-9115

September 11: Burlingame Store
Telephone: 650-697-5306
Fax: 650-697-8743

Don't forget to join us for a letter-writing party on Tuesday, September 4 at 7 PM at Pizza Plaza (6211 Shattuck Avenue in Oakland). Plus, we will be holding a special public demonstration at Lunardi's Burlingame store (1825 El Camino Real) on Sunday, September 9 at 12:30 PM. To participate, email volunteer@eastbayanimaladvocates.org.

Online at LunardisAbuse.com.

Your customers have a simple request, Mr. Lunardi.

During EBAA's public outreach at Lunardi's Supermarket yesterday, shoppers, store employees and Walnut Creek-ers alike were overwhelmingly supportive of the simple request to Lunardi's.

With September's National Chicken Month right around the corner, EBAA's efforts to persuade the Bay Area grocery chain to ban the sale of battery-cage eggs will continue to grow. On Thursday at 9 AM, logon to our MySpace page for important information on our Eight-Day Shopping Spree at Lunardi's (September 4 – September 11).

If you have free time today, give Lunardi’s General Manager, Tony Lucia, a friendly, persuasive phone call for the chickens at (650) 588-7507.

What do Michael Vick & Lunardi's Supermarket have in common?

Both Michael Vick & Lunardi's Supermarket think cruelty to animals is a money-making enterprise.

Join East Bay Animal Advocates this Sunday, August 26 at 4 PM to speak out against Lunardi's continued support of chicken cruelty. At the grocery chain's Walnut Creek store, EBAA will urge Lunardi's Supermarket to ban the sale of eggs from chickens confined to cages for their entire lives. The store address is 1600 Palos Verdes Mall in Walnut Creek. To participate, email volunteer@eastbayanimaladvocates.org.

Online at LunardisAbuse.com

Cruel agribusiness practices must be halted

Today, Fedele Bauccio, the CEO of Palo Alto's Bon Appetit Management Company, wrote an interesting opinion piece for The San Jose Mercury News about intensive animal agriculture. Read an excerpt:

"According to a recent survey, animal welfare is one of the top three issues of concern to restaurant-goers, which may be a little unexpected for those of us who think of bacon as the fifth food group. Yet in a nation where two-thirds of the population has pets, it should be no surprise that Americans have a special place in their hearts for animals. With all of the recent media attention surrounding cage-free eggs and crate-free pork, it's clear that our consideration for animal welfare is expanding to those animals used on farms - a trend that should cause those of us in the food industry to take notice."

You can read the full article online by clicking here. Don't forget to express your opinions on this topic by writing a letter to the editor to letters@mercurynews.com.

Chickens fall to deaths from truck on Bay Area highway

Accidents involving the live-haul of poultry to slaughterhouses is an all-too-common occurrence in Northern California. The San Francisco Chronicle reported this morning:

"VALLEJO -- Several chickens fell off a truck today and on to Highway 37, leaving a mess of feathers for the California Highway Patrol officers who had to clean up the dead birds. The chickens fell off the truck around 8 a.m. somewhere between Sears Point and Mare Island, according to the CHP. Responding officers did not recover any live birds or the crate in which the birds were reportedly traveling. The truck apparently did not stop, and it's not clear whether the driver even knew he lost the chickens, a CHP officer said."

Click here to submit comments.

To write a letter to the editor, email: letters@sfchronicle.com.

EBAA joins fight in Oregon against Foster Farms

Foster Farms, the infamous poultry company, is looking to build a 1.5 million chicken industrial operation in a farming community in rural Canby, OR. Industrial factory farms are takingadvantage of the privileges afforded to family farmers. One rural community has been turned on its head as the family farmers and rural residents who live there have learned that an out-of-state corporation has all the rights and they have none. There are over200 property owners that will impacted by the proposed operation. Voice your concerns for chickens and the community of Canby. Stop Foster Farms on Oak Grove Road in Canby.

California Ballot Campaign Takes Flight to De-intensify Animal Ag

East Bay Animal Advocates, along with a dynamic coalition of animal protection groups, seeks enthusiastic, committed volunteers to join an extremely exciting campaign to protect animals abused in California agriculture. Click here to read a CNN Money news story about the upcoming campaign. Starting in October, volunteers are needed to gather signatures for this important ballot initiative. To participate, send a quick email to volunteer@eastbayanimaladvocates.org.

When Will Lunardi's Go Wireless? Upcoming actions + easy activism tips

1. The Contra Costa Times covered Saturday's human battery cage demonstration at the Lunardi's Supermarket in Danville. Click here to view the article. This is the perfect time for letters to the editor about battery cage cruelty. Email the Contra Costa Times at letters@cctimes.com.

2. Mark your datebook: There will be a "Eight-Day Lunardi's Shopping Spree" in early Septembers in honor of National Chicken Month.

3. Easy activism tip: Add Lunardi's headquarter office phone number to your cell phone [650-588-7507]. Call, call and call again!

Online at www.LunardisAbuse.com.

Don't miss the EBAA Funding & Letter Writing Evening at Pizza Plaza

Enjoy delicious vegan pizza and support local animal protection efforts the first Tuesday of every month at Pizza Plaza, the BayArea's only meat-free pizzeria. From 5 PM to 11 PM, Pizza Plazawill donate ten-percent of your bill to EBAA. For dine-in or take-out orders, visit Pizza Plaza at 6211 Shattuck Avenue in Oakland. For delivery orders, call (510) 420-1433. From 7 - 8 PM, join us in encouraging Longs Drugs, Nation's, and Lunardi's Supermarket to adopt animal-friendly corporate policies while sending supportletters to political prisoners.

EBAA calls on Longs Drug Stores to ban battery-cage eggs

Today, EBAA called on Walnut Creek, Calif.-based Longs Drug Stores, a Fortune 500 drugstore chain on the West Coast, to stop selling eggs from chickens raised in cages. Recently, EBAA obtained footage of a battery-cage egg supplier to Longs Drug Stores. The California-based egg purveyor, which markets its eggs under the notorious "Foster Farms" label, houses chickens in intensive confinement. Read an excerpt from EBAA's letter to Longs CEO Warren F. Bryant:

"EBAA would be delighted to work on the implementation of an exclusive cage-free egg policy with Longs Drug Stores. By adopting a cage-free egg policy, your company would join a national network of cities, educational institutions, farmers, and retailers that have committed to higher poultry welfare standards for egg-laying hens."

• Ask Longs Drug Stores to stop selling battery-cage eggs.
• Learn more about the California egg industry.
  

Get exclusive text messages from East Bay Animal Advocates!

What's the 4-1-1 on protecting farm animals in California?

Join EBAA on Mozes!

By subscribing, you will receive text messages about upcoming events and action alerts from East Bay Animal Advocates. EBAA ensures the information you share is safe and private. You won't be spammed or tricked. Only standard text message rates apply.

Click here to learn more.

Bay to Barkers Outreach Review

On July 15th, East Bay Animal Advocates exhibited at the 2007 Bay to Barkers Dog Walk, Run and Festival at Cesar Chavez Park at the Berkeley Marina. Volunteers educated dog-lovers about the reality of modern animal agriculture and the benefits of vegetarianism. In honor National Veggie Hot Dog Day, EBAA distributed free vegetarian recipes and coupons.

Join EBAA at an upcoming event to protect animals!

EBAA showers Lunardi's Headquarters with flowers

As the Lunardi’s Abuse Campaign moves forward, EBAA representatives visited the grocery company’s headquarter offices in South San Francisco today to personally deliver an open letter to CEO Paul Lunardi and General Manager Tony Lucia. EBAA did not miss the opportunity to share its summertime cheer with a special delivery of flowers for the Lunardi’s main offices.

Read EBAA's letter to Lunardi’s Supermarket:

Paul Lunardi and Tony Lucia
Lunardi's Supermarket, Inc.
432 North Canal Street, Suite 22
South San Francisco, Calif. 94080-4666

Dear Mr. Lunardi and Mr. Lucia:

On behalf of East Bay Animal Advocates, it is our pleasure to provide you with floral decorations for your lovely office.

As you know, concerned individuals across the USA have contacted Lunardi’s since October 2006, requesting that your company adopt an exclusively cage-free egg policy.

New information related to one of Lunardi’s cage egg-layer suppliers has surfaced. We would like to meet with you to discuss this important information and develop a timeline for the implementation of a new egg policy at your Bay Area stores.

We greatly look forward to opening a positive conversation with you both. Please feel free to contact us via email [Info@EastBayAnimalAdvocates.org] or at (925) 487-4419.

Best Regards,

Christine Morrissey & Eileen Mello

6/24: The Human Battery Cage Visits Lunardi's San Jose Store

On Sunday, June 24, join East Bay Animal Advocates again for fun advocacy to encourage Lunardi's Supermarket (online at http://www.lunardisabuse.com/) to stop selling eggs from caged hens. A life-size battery cage--confining humans instead of chickens--will be on display at Lunardi's San Jose store this time. Free vegan cupcakes for all who participate!

DATE: Sunday, June 24

TIME: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

LOCATION: Lunardi's Supermarket, 4650 Meridian Ave, San Jose

Sunday's Belmont demonstration was a total hit. The San Mateo County Times and KPFA Radio Evening News covered the event. Check the Indy Bayweb feature: http://www.indybay.org/animalliberation.

See you on June 24!

EBAA to introduce the 'Human Battery Cage' to Lunardi's Supermarket on June 10

Date: Sunday, June 10th, 2007

Time: Noon - 1:30 pm

Location: Lunardi's, 1085 Alameda de las Pulgas, Belmont (Inside the Carlmont Village Shopping Center)

Join East Bay Animal Advocates for fun advocacy to encourage Lunardi's Supermarket to stop selling eggs from caged hens. A life-size battery cage-confining humans instead of chickens-will be on display at Lunardi's Belmont store!

Online at www.LunardisAbuse.com.

New: Monthly Benefit for East Bay Animal Advocates at Pizza Plaza

Monthly Funding Evenings at Pizza Plaza to Benefit EBAA

Enjoy delicious vegan pizza & support local animal protection efforts! Join East Bay Animal Advocates the first Tuesday of every month at Pizza Plaza, the Bay Area's only meat-free pizzeria. From 5 PM to closing, Pizza Plaza (online at www.veganplaza.com) will donate ten-percent of your bill to EBAA.

For dine-in or take-out orders:

Visit Pizza Plaza at 6211 Shattuck Avenue in Oakland

For delivery orders:

Call (510) 420-1433

Online at www.SupportEBAA.org.

May 14th: Lunardi's Call-In Day

In honor of National Egg Month, East Bay Animal Advocates is calling on members of the public to contact Lunardi's Supermarket at (650) 588-7507 to urge the company to stop selling eggs from caged birds. Please call between 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM PST this Monday.

Visit LunardisAbuse.com!

May 19th: Day of Action Against Lunardi's

On Saturday, May 19th, join East Bay Animal Advocates in urging Lunardi's Supermarket to stop selling eggs from caged chickens.

EBAA will host three activities:

Customer Outreach at Danville Store

Date: Saturday, May 19th

Time: 11:00 - Noon

Place: Lunardi's Supermarket, 345 Railroad Avenue, Danville

Customer Outreach at Walnut Creek Store

Date: Saturday, May 19th

Time: 12:30 - 1:30

Place: Lunardi's Supermarket, 1600 Palos Verdes Mall (Geary & Pleasant Hill Road), Walnut Creek

Letters to Lunardi's (Plus Free Pizza)

Date: Saturday, May 19th

Time: 4:00 - 5:00

Location: Pizza Plaza, 6211 Shattuck Ave, Oakland

To RSVP, email volunteer@eastbayanimaladvocates.org.

Upcoming EBAA Service Days at Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary!

Join East Bay Animal Advocates on the second Saturday of every month (10am- 2pm) for service days at Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary in Stockton.

To participate, please send an email to volunteer@eastbayanimaladvocates.org. Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary was formed to aid homeless and abuseddomestic and farmed animals in the San Francisco Bay Area and the San Joaquin valley. Learn more at www.HarvestHomeAnimal.org.

*Upcoming Service Dates*

Saturday, May 12, 2007
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Saturday, December 8, 2007

Please wear comfortable clothes and plan on getting dirty. Snacks willbe provided for good workers!

See you at the farm :)

Foster Fluff!!!!

Foster Farms, with a solid record of animal neglect complaints, now "wants to be America's most trusted food company"! Read the full story: http://www.fosterfarms.com/docs/249979.pdf

Click here to ask Foster Farms to improve conditions for birds and stop misleading consumers.

Interesting Editorial about Olivera's Egg Farm Proposal

This plan lays a big egg
April 04, 2007

We're less concerned about protecting chickens than questioning the scale of a proposed egg-producing operation near the 11,000-home River Islands development in Lathrop.

A 900,000-hen farm simply doesn't seem appropriate in a rapidly growing suburban area.
Agriculture remains San Joaquin County's No. 1 industry, and much of it needs to be protected from encroaching development.

However, a new operation of such magnitude should be located a lot farther from residential neighborhoods.

The Olivera Family Limited Partnership, which already owns a similar operation in nearby French Camp, has made significant adjustments since first proposing the egg ranch a year ago. Initial plans were larger and even closer to River Islands.

The 242,000-square-foot operation is still too big and too close.

The plan again has drawn strong and justifiable opposition from residents, developers and city officials in Lathrop.

Animal-rights activists also have protested. Their opposition is naive, predictable and overheated.

When county planners review this latest proposal, they must consider:

» Environmental impacts, including potential air-quality decline and the dangers should a flood occur.

» Foul odors from chicken waste.

» The agriculture-urban interface. Is this a compatible land use so close to Lathrop?

» The San Jose-based Olivera company's spotty record with codes and regulations in both San Joaquin and Santa Clara counties.

This isn't exactly a "Which came first? The chicken or the egg" proposition. It is, however, a reflection of San Joaquin County in transition.

Agriculture is healthy, but contracting. New housing is healthier, and expanding.

Online at http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070404/A_OPINION01/704040318/-1/A_OPINION06

Write a letter: Letters must be 250 words or less. Include your full name, address and phone number. Email your letter to editor@recordnet.com.

Welcome to EBAA's Blog

For news, campaign reports, upcoming events and action alerts from East Bay Animal Advocates, this is the place to get the information. Check this new story about the Olivera Egg campaign and Lunardi's campaign:

Tri-Valley Herald: "Critics hope egg ranch does not hatch"

By Cheryl Winkelman, Staff Writer
04/02/2007

Though it hasn't yet been given the final go-ahead, a proposed egg ranchnear Lathrop already has ruffled quite a few feathers. Neighbors and animal rights groups have flooded San Joaquin County's Community Development Department with letters of vociferous opposition.

Michael and Roberta Larkin wrote, "Our property lies parallel on theeast side of the proposed site of the egg facility. Therefore, thesmell will be intolerable." The 240,000-square-foot egg ranch is planned for 4000 W. Undine Rd.,which is west of Lathrop and the San Joaquin River. If built, it willbe near Lathrop's River Islands, an 11,000-unit housing development that is under construction. Up to 1 million chickens could inhabit the premises.

Another potential neighbor, William H. Reynolds, worried about themanure disposal. He mentioned four children who are home-schooled nearthe proposed site. "The potential health issues for these youngsters is obvious," he wrote.So far, the project has cleared one environmental hurdle.

The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District determined last week thecancer risk produced by the farm would be less than significant,according to county documents. Other county departments still need to analyze the egg farm, including the Public Health Department for vector control and Asian flu concerns,before it again reaches the county's Planning Commission for a vote, said County Planner Ray Hoo.

Meanwhile, animal rights activists are working with Lunardi's grocerystores, a family-owned chain with stores in Danville and Walnut Creek, to get the company to stop selling eggs from Olivera Family Limited Partnership, the company behind the egg ranch. They run a smaller eggranch in French Camp and previously operated an egg ranch in Gilroy. Company officials did not return telephone calls.

Fifteen animal advocacy groups also have banded together and created http://www.nomoreolivera.com. Christine Morrissey, a spokeswoman for East Bay Animal Advocates said, "our organization visited one of the previously owned facilities.... The conditions were completely unacceptable. The animals were living in filth."

Morrissey said the hens were confined to small wire enclosures. Often, their beaks are removed so they didn't peck each other to death. At the French Camp site, 250 to 300 birds die daily, she said. Though 90percent of egg-laying hens are raised in cages, Olivera Farms' sanitation practices are below par, Morrissey said. The operational practices of the Gilroy facility were deemed a publicnuisance by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors in 2002. Weekly inspections from the county's Department of Environmental Health tomonitor flies and manure clean-ups followed, according to county documents.

In late 2005, the poultry operation was shut down. Complaints have also been filed with San Joaquin County's Department ofEnvironmental Health about Olivera Farms' French Camp egg ranch about the bad smell.

Online at http://www.insidebayarea.com/trivalleyherald/localnews/ci_5575063

Write a letter to editor:http://www.insidebayarea.com/trivalleyherald/writealetter