"A full-page ad in the July 28th, 2005 edition of The New York Times (sponsored by The Humane Farming Association, Animal Rights International, and the Animal Welfare Institute) notes that the US Department of Agriculture has classified rabbits as "poultry" to avoid including them under the 1958 Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, from which "poultry" are excluded."
A petition was started (for rabbits), back in 2005, but didn't obtain the needed 5,000 signatures, but less than 700. I would like to see some changes, its been 3 years and nothing has changed. If not now, then when?
And furthermore, there is no reason for "Poultry" to be excluded from this act. All animals, whether they be Cows, Pigs, Goats, Chickens or Rabbits deserve to be treated with humanity-its bad enough the way they're treated at the slaughterhouses, being confined to small areas, not even able to move around freely-at least give them some compassion when it comes time to slaughter them.
I just found updated information HSUS is trying to get "Poultry" covered under the Act-Please help by signing their petition as well.
https://community.hsus.org/campaign/petition_for_poultry
Heres where I obtained my information from for the video-
http://www.hfa.org/about/rabbits.pdf
http://www.rabbitproduction.com/Create_Change.html
http://www.alabamaears.org/rabbitsaspoultry.html
http://www.3bunnies.org/rabbits_as_chickens.htm
Rabbits Classified as Poultry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humane_Slaughter_Act
Humane Slaughter Act - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050808/NEWS/508080357/1024
http://www.goveg.com/government_hsa.asp
http://www.rabbitweb.net/purchase.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_punch
http://ars.sdstate.edu/animaliss/rabbits.html
We the undersigned would like you to reconsider your classification of Rabbits as "Poultry", they are not "Poultry" they are the 3rd most popular pet for almost 1.8 million people, over 4,000,000 rabbits are owned as pets. Some people choose to have Cats, others Dogs & some people choose rabbits. Its would be unthinkable to raise cats & dogs for food, and yet its OK to do it with rabbits? No one would even consider shopping at a market or eating at a restaurant that served cat or dog, and yet-rabbits continue to be on the menu? and in our grocery isles?
They were reclassified to exclude them from the 1958 Humane Method of Slaughters Act. We also would like "Poultry" to be included in the act, as it is not humane to kill any animal while they are fully conscious. This law was designed originally to show compassion for animals, and to exclude a certain group of animals is just incomprehensible. All animals deserve to be treated humanely and deserve to at least be killed with compassion.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.
