Foie gras – French for fatty liver – may be a common sight on menus at some fine dining restaurants, but what is even more commonplace is the barbaric and abusive conditions that all ducks and geese endure in the production of this so-called "gourmet" food. Foie gras is produced by shoving a metal pipe down the throats of ducks and geese and pumping up to 1/3 of the bird’s body weight into their stomachs everyday. This practice causes the ducks and geese’s livers to become diseased and enlarged – the necessary ingredients for foie gras. The birds are forced to endure the trauma of force-feeding two to three times a day, every day, until they are killed. Ducks and geese, when allowed to adhere to their own natures, spend their days swimming, foraging, basking in the sun, dabbling in the water, and being social with one another. Yet on foie gras-producing factory farms they are forced to live in intensive and overcrowded confinement, often in their own feces and vomit – unable to spread a wing, walk, or even turn around. These ducks and geese, prisoners to the whims of consumers, lead miserable lives without access to the outdoors, space to move, or water to bathe in. Finally, as the force-feeding progresses and they near death from the painful and purposely induced liver disease, they are sent to a terrorizing and violent death at the slaughterhouse. Over 500,000 ducks are killed in the U.S. for foie gras every year.

A recent investigation of the two largest foie gras farms in the U.S., Hudson Valley Foie Gras in New York and Sonoma Foie Gras in California, uncovered profound abuses of the animals they exploit. The results of this investigation can be reviewed at: www.GourtmetCruelty.com.

The production of foie gras has been banned in a number of countries, including the United Kingdom, Sweden, Israel, Switzerland, Denmark, Germany, and Luxembourg. Voices for Animal Liberation’s Foie Gras-Free Pittsburgh campaign aims to campaign for Pittsburgh establishments to become foie gras-free while raising awareness about ways of living that do not perpetuate the institutionalized abuse of animals.

Often called a "guilty pleasure", foie gras is the end result of egregious cruelty and unnecessary violence against other sentient beings for frivolous, and in the end, selfish reasons. Gandhi said, "The greatness of a nation, and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Opposing violence in the form of foie gras is one small yet significant way all of us can actively participate in building another world – one where human animals, other animals, and the environment can exist in a sphere of justice and respect – instead of exploitation, degradation, and abuse. Please join us in this effort!

1.) Please write and call the following local restaurants and request they immediately and permanently remove foie gras from their menu due to its inherent cruelty. Boycott their establishments until they do:

Mr. Joe Jordan, Owner
Lucca
317 S. Craig Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
(412) 682-3310

Mr. Bikki Kochhar, Owner
Bikki
736-738 Bellefonte St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15232
(412) 683-5756

2.) Attend demonstrations and educational leafleting events at establishments that still sell foie gras! To get involved with peaceful protests and other aspects of Voices for Animal Liberation’s campaigns for social change for other animals, please contact pghfoiegras@yahoo.com. You can also visit our campaign website at: www.pghfoiegras.com

3.) Thank a restaurant for forgoing foie gras! The Foie Gras-Free Pittsburgh has already enjoyed success. Please write a thank you letter to The Carlton for taking foie gras off its menu.

Kevin Joyce
The Carlton
500 Grant Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15219

- P.J. McKosky is a campaign coordinator with Voices for Animal Liberation’s Foie Gras-Free Pittsburgh Campaign.

Voices for Animal Liberation
P.O. Box 7181
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
pghfoiegras@yahoo.com

Voices of Animal Liberation has been protesting outside
of Lucca on Craig Street in Oakland (Photo by Marie Skoczylas)