Sonic Taking Steps to Improve Animal Welfare Following Talks with PETA

After a Year of Discussions, Restaurant Chain Takes Action to Reduce Animal Suffering

For Immediate Release:
January 21, 2010

Contact:
Janice Neitzel 757-622-7382

Oklahoma City -- As a result of PETA's behind-the-scenes meetings with Oklahoma City-based Sonic Corp., the drive-in restaurant chain has agreed to begin purchasing eggs and doubling its purchase of meat from suppliers that use less cruel production methods. Sonic has more than 3,500 company-owned and franchised locations in the U.S.

Sonic's new animal welfare policy includes the following reforms:

* The company will urge its chicken suppliers to convert to "controlled-atmosphere killing" (CAK)--the least cruel method of bird slaughter--or favor suppliers that convert to CAK systems.
* It will begin phasing in the purchase of "cage-free" eggs from suppliers that don't cram their hens into cages. The company plans to increase the percentage of cage-free eggs that it uses annually.
* Sonic will double its purchase of "crate-free" pig meat from suppliers that don't confine pregnant sows to cruel gestation crates that restrict nearly all movement.

When chickens are slaughtered using the most common methods, their bones are often broken, their throats are cut while they are still conscious, and many are scalded alive in defeathering tanks. CAK prevents these abuses. An egg-laying hen spends her entire life crammed with up to six other birds into a cage roughly the size of a file drawer, in which she is unable to spread even one wing. Pregnant pigs--who are confined in small, barren crates for months at a time--develop open sores from constantly rubbing on the steel bars and often go insane from a total lack of mental stimulation.

"With these simple steps, Sonic adds its voice to those calling for less cruel slaughter methods that will help prevent chickens from being scalded to death and having their bones broken when they are slammed into slaughterhouse shackles, among other abuses," says PETA Vice President Tracy Reiman. "We look forward to seeing them take even stronger actions in the future."

For more information, please visit PETA's blog.