Kapparos Chickens

Animal Abuse, Chickens

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement,is coming soon, and with it comes the annual culture war over a ceremony called Kapparot, in which a chicken is slaughtered just before the holy day.

Each year on the eve of Yom Kippur, chickens—roosters for men and hens for women—serve as stand-ins for devotees to atone for their sins. As each performs the ceremony and swings a bird above their head three times, the worshipers recite a prayer asking God to allow them to atone by slaughtering the chicken.

Once the prayer is complete, the chicken is killed. It is thought that performing the rite could protect people from any misfortune or danger in the coming year, the chicken already having taken on the burden.

The chickens used for atonement are raised in extremely crowded conditions, brought under inhumane conditions to those who follow the custom, and are often left to wait long hours without food and water, until their slaughter.”

Not all even survive long enough to take part in the ritual. “Some of them dehydrate and die in agony while waiting and some of those who survive till the end continue to expire and twitch in agony until finally succumbing to their death,” the appeal said.

Each year, as many as 50,000 chickens are killed during the Kapparot rituals in Brooklyn.

Here at Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary, we have taken in chickens that have been rescued from this ritual in Brooklyn. We are planning on taking in two more this year.

These chickens are Cornish Cross chickens which are bred to be slaughter at just a few weeks old. They gain weight very rapidly. So as they continue to grow, they end up weighing too much for their legs to hold and end up with joint problems. Because they are jumbo in size, they can also suffer from organ failure. We need to monitor the diet closely and make sure they get enough exercise to keep them healthy.

This is a photo of one of our past rescues, Oz

Petition: Levi’s Uses Leather on its Jeans

Animal Abuse, Petitions

Levi’s claims that production follows the industry “best practices”. “Investigations shared by PETA have repeatedly shown that the leather industry subjects animals to intensive confinement inside filthy cages or pens; castration, branding, and tail-docking without pain relief; chronic infections and disease caused by extreme crowding; and a terrifying trip to the abattoir.”

The horrific abuse and slaughter is beyond sickening. Please sign to show your agree.

For more details and to sign petition, please click HERE.

Petition: Tell the USDA to Stop Depopulation Payments

Animal Abuse, Petitions

Depopulation is a form of mass animal slaughter. It is an excruciatingly cruel death, suffocating animals over the course of hours. Please sign this letter urging USDA to stop depopulation payments; instead use these resources to support food-system-wide sustainability and justice.

Click HERE to learn more about this and sign petition to stop depopulation.

Reporting Animal Abuse

Animal Abuse

Witnessing animal abuse and neglect can be extremely distressing, and understandably you may want to act fast. While rescuing the animal to a sanctuary may be a solution, oftentimes working with your local authorities and organizations will have the most impact for that animal.

Read below to learn more about what you can do.

Defining cruelty

Most reported animal cruelty comes in the form of neglect, with direct violence occurring less. Neglect, or a failure to provide basic needs for an animal, often includes hoarding, lack of shelter or veterinary care, tethering and abandonment, as well as other forms of abuse.

It can be very upsetting to see someone beating or physically attacking an animal, but it’s important not to turn away. It’s crucial to involve law enforcement quickly, if you witness these events.

Reporting Animal Abuse

If you witness suspected cruelty to animals, call your local animal control agency as soon as possible or dial 9-1-1 if you’re unfamiliar with local organizations. If you make a report of alleged animal cruelty, the responding agency is required to investigate.

Before you begin your report, the following steps can help you prepare.

  • A concise, written, factual statement of what you observed—giving dates and approximate times whenever possible—to provide to law enforcement.
  • Photographs of the location, the animals in question and the surrounding area. Note: do not put yourself in danger! Do not enter another person’s property without permission, and exercise great caution around unfamiliar animals.
  • If you can, provide law enforcement with the names and contact information of other people who have firsthand information about the abusive situation.
  • It is possible to file an anonymous report, but please consider providing your information. The case is more likely to be pursued when there are credible witnesses.

If your area lacks the proper animal welfare agency and your local authorities are not equipped to deal with animal cruelty cases, you can also contact the Humane Society or ASPCA.