IDA and Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK) continue to target Starbucks Coffee for sponsoring rodeos. Sadly, many animals are injured and killed every year in these violent competitions, and, after a lifetime of abuse and confinement, most ultimately end their lives in the slaughterhouse. As a company that claims to be guided by humane values, Starbucks has no business supporting a cruel blood sport that brutalizes animals for entertainment.
To bring this message directly to the American public, SHARK's founder and President, Steve Hindi, has taken his Tiger Truck on an eye-opening cross-country road trip. Equipped with 100-inch television screens, LED displays and loudspeakers, the Tiger Truck is a traveling multimedia marvel. Spectators often stand for several minutes watching footage of calves, horses and steers being roughly lassoed, tripped, tackled and body-slammed in the course of rodeo events. Often the truck is accompanied by activists on the sidewalks handing out leaflets as people watch the footage. As part of our joint campaign, IDA and SHARK co-coordinated several successful San Francisco Bay Area and Portland, Oregon demonstrations earlier this month against the coffee giant's rodeo support using the Tiger Truck.
After months of avoiding and denying the issue, Starbucks has finally agreed to sit down and negotiate with SHARK, indicating that perhaps the company is ready to do the right thing. Another sign came during a recent Starbucks shareholders' meeting in which Chairman Howard Schultz stated, "We are reviewing this practice [of giving Starbucks stores free rein over local sponsorships], specifically as it relates to rodeos. We understand the sensitivity of the question and our responsibility as a company."
Starbucks current policy allows local stores to sponsor any community events they choose. SHARK and IDA are seeking a written agreement from Starbucks pledging to change this policy to prohibit sponsorship of events that could result in the abuse, injury or death of animals. Otherwise, we will continue our campaign and urge people to buy their coffee elsewhere. If Starbucks fails to live up to their caring corporate image, Hindi and his Tiger Truck will have an extended stopover in Seattle (where Starbucks has its headquarters) before continuing to tour the U.S.
What You Can Do:
Help IDA and SHARK show Starbucks that we mean business by organizing an outreach event outside of a Starbucks in your neighborhood. You can download and print flyers at www.sharkonline.org/BuckStarbucks.pdf to hand out to people. Also be sure to order IDA's new posters to get your point even from a distance. Contact Program Coordinator Melissa Gonzalez at (415) 388-9641, ext. 228 or Melissa@idausa.org to order your free posters and for help organizing your event.
- Please write a short, polite letter to Starbucks and urge the company to live up to its socially responsible reputation by adopting a company-wide policy prohibiting the sponsorship of any events involving cruelty, potential injury or death of animals.
Howard Schultz, Chairman
Jim Donald, CEO
Starbucks Corp.
P.O. Box 3717
Seattle, WA 98124
Tel: (206) 447-1575
Fax: (206) 447-0828
Email webform: Click here
Click here for previous action alert
