How do you feel when you see animals suffering?
“If you have an emotional reaction to seeing animals in pain, that’s a good sign that you’re a human being. We can all support an evolution away from cruelty.“
– Cade Braynen, Denver voter and musician
Denver residents overwhelmingly agree:
Say animals deserve to be treated humanely
Are concerned about the treatment of animals used for food
Are opposed to killing animals for fur
Source: Pax Fauna 2023
If you feel upset for the animals killed for fur or meat, you’re in good company, and you are on the right side of history.
Polling from June to July of 2023 showed 51% of Denver voters are in favor of a ban on slaughterhouses, while 58% would support a ban on fur sales. We only expect this to grow with social progress arising from modern education and technology. Future generations will live in a world that protects both human and animal rights.
Think you’re buying “humane” fur or meat?
“Watching the footage reduced me to tears. I couldn’t speak afterwards. I genuinely do not understand what it takes in a human being to do those things in the name of fur.”
– Mike Moser, ex-CEO of the British Fur Trade Association turned anti-fur advocate (Source: The Daily Mirror)
Mike realized it was inconsistent to shower his dog with love and then go to work to defend the caging of mink and foxes for their entire lives on fur farms. Kayla, one of the top signature gatherers for the campaign to ban slaughterhouses in Denver, was a cattle rancher before deciding that she could no longer brand cattle or send them off to slaughter anymore. The fur and meat industries share a common thread—they hurt animals unnecessarily, and use clever marketing to portray it as “humane.”
Take a look at the myths vs reality.
“Good for animals”
What Superior Farms, the slaughterhouse company in Denver, has said on its website.
VS.
“Even after having their throats cut, many lambs are kicking or thrashing their heads—signs they can still feel pain—as their tails are cut off”
Undercover footage of a Superior Farms lamb slaughterhouse
“I only buy from small family farms”
What we all want to believe about our meat.
VS.
99
Percentage of animals raised for food in the United States who live on factory farms. By species, the numbers are 70.4% for cows, 98.3% of pigs, 99.8% of turkeys, 98.2% of chickens raised for eggs, and over 99.9% of chickens raised for meat.
Source: USDA Census of Agriculture.
What’s it like to work at a slaughterhouse?
“My first job as a teen was slitting birds’ throats, hundreds per day. We all grew numb to the constant killing, and many of the workers turned to drugs and alcohol to cope.”
– Susana Chavez, grandmother and former slaughterhouse worker
Susana has said, “I have two children and two grandchildren now, and I wouldn’t want any of them working in a slaughterhouse. But if not my children, then whose?” In 2022, children at a Colorado slaughterhouse were found illegally employed to clean skull-splitters and bone saws, while at Denver’s baby lamb slaughterhouse in 2019, a worker’s finger was sliced off. PAF’s initiative calls on the City to prioritize affected workers and help them find greener, safer jobs.
Studies have found that workers in slaughterhouses
Are 4x more likely to be depressed than the general population
Are disproportionately people of color and immigrants
Suffer PTSD and drug and alcohol addiction at higher rates
How would you feel if a slaughterhouse moved in next door?
“I’m so relieved I was able to move away from the slaughterhouse. It smelled horrendous every day and made the drinking water unsafe. Other people aren’t so lucky.”
– Zo Ferguson, petsitter and slaughterhouse pollution escapee
It’s no accident that Denver’s last slaughterhouse is in Globeville.
Globeville is a historically immigrant neighborhood that makes less than half of Denver Metro’s average household income and is mostly Latine. Not only do these neighbors suffer bad smells and air quality from all the industrial activity, but the EPA reveals that the slaughterhouse has violated the Clean Water Act for 3 years. No neighborhood wants to deal with the negative effects of a slaughterhouse. Let’s vote to phase out slaughter and clean up not just our own backyard, but the world.
Did you know?
The number of consecutive quarters (i.e. 3 years) for which the slaughterhouse in Denver has failed to report its water pollution, in violation of the Clean Water Act.
The distance between Denver’s slaughterhouse and the South Platte River.
The amount of blood and other waste that slaughterhouses dump into U.S. waterways every year.
Are slaughterhouses really that bad for the environment?
“Evolutionarily, we got to where we are eating meat and consuming and destroying our magnificent planet. Nonetheless, climate science is clear: our survival is now dependent on us moving away from farming animals.”
– Marc Bekoff, Ph.D. University of Colorado, Boulder
Factory farms and slaughterhouses aren’t just bad news for local communities. They’re also devastating the climate. The UN urges a shift to a plant-based system because it has found that around 11 to 20% of greenhouse gas emissions are caused by animal farming. In addition to the need for renewable energy, offsetting that pivotal 15% could mean the difference between preserving our future, or facing food insecurity and extreme weather events.
By giving animals the justice they deserve, we will reap a safer future for all of us. Denver has the chance to once again be a climate leader in 2024.
According to an Oxford study, animal-free foods require:
less land use.
less biodiversity loss.
Colorado is trailblazing a better way. Let’s evolve together.
“I love a good burger, but I’ve always been horrified by the images coming out of slaughterhouses. If we can take steps towards alternative food sources, I support that.”
– Dylan Cook, Denver voter and bartender
Concerned about animal suffering in our food system? While you might have doubted the impact of going meatless all by yourself, your power as a voter and citizen is much greater. By voting for better laws, we can create a future where everyone has access to both traditional staples like beans and innovative meat alternatives. Denver can lead the way to a kinder world. Let’s harness our city’s history of social change and forge a better future for all beings.
4 Ways Society is Already Evolving:
Boulder banned fur sales in 2021, joining 13, U.S. cities, 1 state, 30 countries, and 1,581 major fashion retailers.
62% of the U.S., or 79 million households, now buy plant-based meat, dairy, or eggs.
85% of U.S. dog guardians consider dogs their family members.
67% of Americans believe plant-based foods are healthier than animal-based ones.
We won’t bombard you with emails, we promise. By filling this out, you’ll get just one reminder email before the election about your plan to vote pro-animal!
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“10 years ago I was all set to take over my parents’ cattle ranch. Now I’m out here collecting signatures to end the slaughter industry forever. I’m living proof that change is possible.”
Kayla Begay, Navajo organizer and pro-animal volunteer
