PETA to Bring Factory Farm to University of Texas–Austin

Group Will Give Students a Feel for Intensive Confinement That May Have Them Going Vegan

For Immediate Release:
February 14, 2014

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Most students at the University of Texas–Austin have probably never been to a factory farm, so peta2—PETA’s youth division—is bringing factory farms to them. As part of a national college tour, the group will set up a 20-foot-by-30-foot tent, inside of which students can confine themselves to sow gestation crates—which are so small that pregnant pigs can’t even turn around or take two steps—and watch “Glass Walls,” a video exposé of the meat industry narrated by PETA pal Paul McCartney, who famously said, “If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian.” Students will also receive samples of vegan foods and free vegetarian/vegan starter kits with recipes and tips for helping the Earth, animals, and their own health by going meat- and dairy-free.

When:   Monday, February 17, through Wednesday, February 19, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

Where:  Gregory Gymnasium Plaza, University of Texas–Austin campus, Austin

“College is a time to consider new ideas, and peta2’s factory-farm display gives students an idea of how much suffering goes into a chicken nugget or a beef burger,” says peta2 Director Marta Holmberg. “Once students see what cows, chickens, and other animals go through on factory farms, in transit, and in slaughterhouses, they’ll want to load up their cafeteria trays with humane vegan selections.”

Chickens, pigs, cows, and fish feel pain and fear just as intensely as do the animals who share our homes with us, yet they’re abused in ways that would be illegal if dogs and cats were the victims. Chickens and turkeys have their throats cut while they’re still conscious, piglets are castrated and have their tails cut off without being given any painkillers, and calves raised for their milk have their horns burned out of their skulls. On the decks of fishing boats, fish suffocate or are cut open while they’re still alive.