AnimalVoicesNews Subject: Corcpork 3922 Avenue 120 Corcoran, CA 93212 (559) 992-8421
CorcPork, Inc., linked to Farmer John® Commercial Pork Products, Violates Consumer Rights, Anti-Cruelty Laws, by Keeping Pigs in Illegal Intensive Confinement Conditions <http://www.aldf.org/news/details.php?id=212> Source: Farm Sanctuary Campaign: Link: <http://www.farmsanctuary.org/campaign/corcpork.htm> Update January 29, 2007: Farm Sanctuary received word that a decision has been made in the case of Farm Sanctuary vs. Corcpork in the Second Appellate District Division Three. The court found in favor of the defendant, Corcpork, following a grant of summary judgment. The issue at stake was whether Farm Sanctuary had standing to bring the case forward. The merits of the case were never heard. Farm Sanctuary plans to appeal this case to the California Supreme Court in an effort to gain legal standing to represent the interests of the animals who are being inhumanely confined in 2-foot-wide crates by Corcpork in violation of California Penal Code section 597t, which requires that, ³every person who keeps an animal confined in an enclosed area shall provide it with an adequate exercise area.² <http://www.farmsanctuary.org/campaign/corcpork.htm> Farm Sanctuary P.O. Box 150 Watkins Glen, NY 14891 ph: 607-583-2225 fax: 607-583-2041 ========== Source: The Fresno Bee <letters @ fresnobee.com> (close spaces) Link: http://www.fresnobee.com/170/story/27019.html Click at Link to Comment Processor rejects pig stalls Virginia-based company will phase out gestation crates as a Valley firm defends them. By Dennis Pollock / The Fresno Bee <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 01/30/07 04:04:48 Although thwarted in its efforts to pursue a lawsuit against a Corcoran-based pork processor, an animal rights group thinks its case has been strengthened by the fact that Smithfield Foods Inc. is phasing out individual gestation stalls for its sows. Several animal rights groups have criticized the individual pens, measuring 2 feet by 7 feet, saying they are abusive and result in physical and psychological maladies. Industry leaders say the confinement is not cruel and that putting the animals in the pens protects them from harm. At least one study from the American Veterinary Medical Association found no more significant problems with stalls than with group housing. Use of the crates was at the center of the suit that Farm Sanctuary sought to reinstate with a state appellate court in Los Angeles against Corcpork of Corcoran. Representatives of Farm Sanctuary, which has shelters in Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Orland, learned over the weekend that the court ruled their organization could not pursue the suit. "The court declined to hear the case, based on Proposition 64, and we intend to take it to the California Supreme Court," said Tricia Ritterbusch, a Farm Sanctuary spokeswoman. "Unless organizations are able to represent animals, companies can continue to violate the law." Farm Sanctuary says keeping the animals confined in the crates violates a California Penal Code section that requires that "every person who keeps an animal confined in an enclosed area shall provide it with an adequate exercise area." The lawsuit was first dismissed in June 2005 because of the proposition that banned suits by private parties against a business unless they were harmed personally and financially by the alleged misconduct. "The law doesn't allow this sort of shakedown litigation," said Steve Duchesne, a spokesman for Corcpork, of the most recent dismissal. Duchesne said Corcpork has no plans to follow in the footsteps of Virginia-based Smithfield, which announced Thursday it is beginning to phase out individual gestation stalls at company-owned sow farms. It will replace them with pens or group housing over the next 10 years. "That was a business decision the market leader made," Duchesne said, "a decision they are entitled to make. Sow stalls are a humane way of housing breeding sows. Our sows are in stalls today and will be in stalls tomorrow." Corcpork has 90,000 animals, 10% of them breeding sows. Gene Baur, president of Farm Sanctuary, said Smithfield's action "shows these crates are unnecessary and unacceptable societally. Some in agribusiness are acting outside the bounds of acceptable conduct." Baur cited voter initiatives in Florida in 2002 and Arizona in 2006 that outlawed use of the crates. The Humane Society of the United States also applauded Smithfield's action. "This is an earthquake in the pig industry," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society. "Gestation crates are one of the most inhumane confinement systems used in modern agribusiness, and this decision is a signal by the industry leader that these crates have no place in the future of American agriculture." Dennis Treacy, Smithfield's vice president of environmental and corporate affairs, said the move away from the individual pens is not an indictment of their use. Treacy said Smithfield is not endorsing one form of handling pigs over another. He said he still believes use of the individual stalls is a viable option. "This was purely a business decision," he said. "Our customers said, 'We wish you could move away from the individual stalls.'" Smithfield CEO C. Larry Pope said: "During our 70 years in business we have always been sensitive to the concerns and needs of our customers, and they have told us they feel group housing is a more animal-friendly form of sow housing." Treacy said the transition away from the stalls will have some challenges, including added costs and additional training for workers who manage the animals. The reporter can be reached at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or(559) 441-6364. © Copyright 2007 The Fresno Bee =========== Source: (AP) Link: http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/16583160.htm Tuesday, Jan 30, 2007 Breaking News Appellate court throws out pig cruelty case a second time Associated Press CORCORAN, Calif. - Animal rights activists say they plan to take an animal cruelty case against a pork processor to the California Supreme Court after an appellate court threw it out for the second time. The group Farm Sanctuary, based in Watkins Glen, N.Y., claims individual gestation crates used to confine thousands of pigs at Corcoran-based CorcPork Inc. are physically and psychologically abusive. The case, originally dismissed in 2005, was thrown out last week by the 2nd District Court of Appeals in Los Angeles, citing Proposition 64, which bans private parties from bringing lawsuits against a business unless they were harmed personally and financially by the alleged misconduct. "The law doesn't allow this sort of shakedown litigation," said Steve Duchesne, a spokesman for CorcPork. Animal activists claim the company is violating a section of the California penal code that requires farm animals to be given an "adequate exercise area." At least one study by the American Veterinary Medical Association found no more significant problems with the individual stalls than with group pens. CorcPork officials said they will continue to use the cages. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Information from: The Fresno Bee, http://www.fresnobee.com --------------- Reference: http://www.aldf.org/news/details.php?id=212 ALDF 170 East Cotati Avenue Cotati, CA 94931 Phone: (707) 795-2533 Fax: (707) 795-7270 General Inquiries: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Media Inquiries: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> This is distibuted for nonprofit research and educational purposes only. [Ref.http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html] You are invited to read past articles and alerts, subscribe, or unsubscribe or email with subject "subscribe" or "unsubscribe." BushWatchersNews: http://groups-beta.google.com/groups?q=bushwatchernews&start=0&scoring=d AnimalVoicesAlerts:http://groups-beta.google.com/group/AnimalVoicesAlerts AnimalVoicesNews: http://groups-beta.google.com/group/AnimalVoicesNews
