For Immediate Release:
September 30, 2003

Contact:
Dan Shannon 757-622-7382  

Fayetteville, Ark. — Today, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the world’s largest animal rights organization, became part owner of Tyson Foods, Inc., the world’s largest producer of meat and operator of factory farms and slaughterhouses. Has PETA jumped ship? Hardly. Following victories in food fights with fast-food giants McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s and grocery chain Safeway—all of which bowed to PETA pressure and instructed their meat suppliers to adopt animal-welfare reforms—PETA has purchased 240 shares of Tyson’s common stock, which gives the group the right to attend and speak at annual meetings and to submit shareholder resolutions to try to end some of the worst abuses endured by the animals whom Tyson raises and kills.

Fayetteville-based Tyson was already the largest chicken-producing company in the world before its recent purchase of IBP Fresh Meats, a major beef- and pork-processing company. Tyson had $23.4 billion in sales in 2002 and is the top supplier to fast-food chain KFC. PETA plans to use its Tyson stock as part of its international campaign to get KFC to eliminate the worst abuses of animals perpetrated by Tyson and other KFC suppliers.

Among the improvements that PETA wants KFC to instruct its suppliers—including Tyson—to make are to implement more-humane gas killing, instead of slitting the birds’ throats or scalding them to death in feather-removal tanks; to stop breeding and drugging chickens to gain weight so quickly that they become crippled under their own bulk; and to use mechanical catching equipment to reduce the number of injuries associated with catching by hand. PETA believes that if it can persuade Tyson to eliminate such abuses, it will be well on its way to winning its campaign against KFC.

"The ability to speak directly with Tyson’s decision makers and to submit shareholder resolutions will give us a few more weapons in our battle to get KFC to straighten up and fly right," says PETA Director Bruce Friedrich, who notes that worldwide protests of KFC are currently underway. "If KFC and Tyson treated dogs and cats the way they treat chickens, their executives could go to prison on cruelty charges."

For more information about abusive factory-farming practices, please visit GoVeg.com. For more about PETA’s KFC Campaign, visit KFCCruelty.com.