S/V Sundance: Costco stores

Faith — Costco stores face heavy criticism for the way pigs are treated in its supply chain. Many mother pigs are stuffed into cruel and inhumane gestation crates. These crates cause extreme pain to mother pigs, preventing them from even turning around. That's led tens of thousands of shoppers to demand change at Costco. They're signing this petition asking Costco to take immediate steps to protect pigs. Join them and tell Costco to end the use of gestation crates in their supply chain.

Tell Costco to Go 100% Gestation Crate Free

89,542 have signed Crate Free Illinois's petition. Let's get to 150,000!

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Many of us are loyal Costco shoppers who appreciate the chain's great deals, no frills shopping experience, and promises to make the humane treatment of animals a "business imperative."

That's why it's especially disheartening to learn that Costco has back-pedaled from its publicly stated goal of a complete phase out of gestation crates from its supply chain by 2022. Sadly, in a December 2020 update to its online animal welfare policy, Costco now tells us that only one of its pork brands, Kirkland Signature, will be crate free by 2022 -- with no clear plan forward for its many other pork products.

(Important note: Even beyond 2022, Kirkland suppliers are committed to locking up mother pigs in gestation crates for the first six weeks after each time they are impregnated. That's one third of each of their pregnancies -- and that goes on for four years!)

Please sign our petition today. Urge Costco to take responsibility for the welfare of the mother pigs in its supply chain, and require that all of its pork suppliers are 100% gestation crate free for the pig's entire pregnancy cycle − including the first six weeks − by 2022.

Gestation crates are widely recognized as cruel and inhumane. They immobilize a mother pig in a space so tiny it's roughly the same size as her body, so narrow she can't even turn around. Gestation crates are known to cause psychological torment and physical suffering to pigs, including lameness due to weakened bones and muscles. (Imagine confining your dog in a cage so small she can't even turn around for months or years at a time.) Alternatively, the use of group housing for the entire pregnancy allows pigs to walk around, lay down, socialize with other pigs, and engage in more natural behaviors.

Confining pigs in gestation crates is inconsistent with Costco's publicly available letter to its suppliers that says pigs should have "adequate room to turn around".

Let Costco know that you, too, believe that pigs should have adequate room to move around. Please sign and share this petition, and ask Costco to commit to ending the use of gestation crates for a mother pig's entire pregnancy cycle − including the first six weeks after impregnation − by 2022.

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