Double
yahoo!!!!!
From:
mickacoo-bounces@mickaboo.org [mailto:mickacoo-bounces@mickaboo.org] On
Behalf Of Elizabeth Young
Sent: Sunday, May 01, 2011 3:39 PM
To: MickaCoo@mickaboo.org; General mickaboo discussion
Subject: [MickaCoo] Fwd: Activists end live bird sales at S.F. farmers'
market
YAHOO!!!!!
---------- Forwarded message
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From: Andrew Zollman <andrew@lgbtcompassion.org>
Date: Sun, May 1, 2011 at 3:31 PM
Subject: Activists end live bird sales at S.F. farmers' market
To: AdoptKings@gmail.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT
Andrew Zollman, Founder & Organizer, LGBT Compassion
Andrew@LGBTcompassion.org, (415)
297-0207
Alex Felsinger, Volunteer Organizer, LGBT Compassion Live Markets
Campaign
AFelsinger@gmail.com, (831)
601-9062
San Francisco activists end live bird sales
at Heart of the City Farmers’ Market
Activists’ efforts result in victory for animals and public health
For over two years, local animal advocates Andrew Zollman and Alex Felsinger
have led investigations and protests of live poultry sales at San Francisco’s
Heart of the City Farmers’ Market—but starting next month, the sales will be
banned.
Today the Heart of the City Farmers’ Market announced on its website (http://hocfarmersmarket.org/News%20&%20Events.html) that
live bird sales will no longer be allowed effective May 27, 2011. Both Raymond
Young Poultry and Bullfeathers Quail will no longer be welcomed at the market,
which is held Wednesdays and Sundays in San Francisco’s UN Plaza.
The activists, organized under the name LGBT Compassion, congratulate the
market for finally deciding to make animal welfare and public health a priority
after nearly two decades of allowing the cruel practice. The activists had
urged market management and many government officials to stop the blatant
animal cruelty and public health risks, along with many other violations of
local, state and federal laws.
The market’s manager has said that Raymond Young Poultry used to sell over
1,000 factory-farmed birds twice weekly, and LGBT Compassion estimates that
Bullfeathers Quail bred and sold at least 350 birds each week at the market.
The change in policy will prevent the sale of over 100,000 live animals for
food every year.
The January lawsuit filed with the California Superior Court-San Francisco
by Felsinger and Zollman against both the Heart of the City Farmers’ Market and
Raymond Young Poultry is still in progress. The lawsuit addresses repeated
violent attacks and civil rights violations suffered by Zollman and Felsinger
at the hands of market and vendor personnel.
The activists have had success protesting live animal sales at other
farmers’ markets in the Bay Area. In September 2009, Zollman and other
activists successfully shut down New Long’s Live Poultry, which had operated in
a parking lot near the Alemany Blvd. Farmers’ Market.
More recently, live bird sales at the Old Oakland Farmers’ Market were
banned as a result of the activists’ discussions with management.
The activists’ efforts to stop similar violations at the Richmond, CA
farmers’ market will now increase, as it is the last known Bay Area farmers’
market to continue to allow live bird sales. The market is currently under
investigation by Contra Costa Animal Services for animal cruelty. The Richmond
City Manager’s office has so far refused to enforce laws and the market’s land
use agreement, relying instead on other government agencies for enforcement.
Investigations of the cruelty, health, and environmental problems surround
the sale of live animals for food at other stores and markets will also be
increased.
LGBT Compassion was founded by Andrew Zollman and Warren Jones, who have
long suffered oppression and threats of violence because of their minority
status, and continue to fight for their own rights. Zollman and Jones work to
inform the community of the parallels between oppression and abuse of animals
and certain groups of humans, as well promote the animal welfare, health and
environmental benefits of a vegan lifestyle.
LGBT Compassion extends its deepest gratitude to nonprofit organizations
United Poultry Concerns, In Defense of Animals, Bay Area Vegetarians, Farm
Sanctuary, and other organizations and activists who provided important support
to the campaign. It also wishes to thank Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary, San
Francisco Animal Care and Control, MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue and Palo
Alto Animal Services for re-homing birds rescued from these and other live
animal markets.
Recent media coverage:
The Tenderblog.com:
--
Elizabeth
Until they all have homes, don't buy, don't breed- adopt.
www.RescueReport.org
www.MickaCoo.org
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGjyooh3Yo0