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VICTORY: New York City Bans Torture of Ducks for Foie Gras!

VICTORY: New York City Bans Torture of Ducks for Foie Gras!

Last week, the New York City Council passed a ban on selling foie gras (Intro 1378,) which is produced via the torturous force-feeding of ducks and geese. Activists lined up outside City Hall for many hours and flooded inside to fill viewing areas as council members voted on the legislation. Representatives of the foie gras industry were too embarrassed to show and were conspicuously absent.

In Defense of Animals joined a coalition this past January led by Voters for Animals Rights to support the bill, which was co-sponsored by 30 NYC Council members. Thousands of our members called and sent letters to their council members. We also testified at a June hearing. In the end, 42 members voted in favor of the ban. After the vote, sponsors of the bill including Council Members Corey Johnson, Justin Brannan, Carlina Rivera, and Mark Levine congratulated activists on their victory as they left the building.

The foie gras sales ban was part an animal rights legislation package passed by the New York City Council. It also included bills requiring the police to report animal cruelty data, forbidding the poaching of pigeons for shooting contests, creating an Office of Animal Welfare in the Mayor’s office and protecting carriage horses from exposure to extreme temperatures.

This massive victory for animals wouldn’t have been possible without the numerous calls and letters our New York City supporters sent to their City Council members. The representatives heard our voices and chose to do the right thing.

With your help, this will only be the beginning of a push to pass many more laws that secure a better future for New York City’s furry, feathered, and finned residents!

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