Sued Hatchery Loses Clients

Days after animal-welfare organization Compassion Over Killing filed a lawsuit against Cal-Cruz Hatcheries, grocery chain Whole Foods Market has announced that it has severed all affiliations with the chick farm. Whole Foods previously received some Cal-Cruz-sourced chickens through a series of other companies, including Central Coast Fryer and Field to Farm Natural Foods, which have since broken ties with the hatchery. COK’s lawsuit, which is being represented by attorneys from Animal Legal Defense Fund, revealed undercover video of chicks being abused, maimed, drowned, and left to die at the Santa Cruz-based hatchery. Whole Foods implements animal-welfare standards for all of the companies from which it supplies pig, cattle, and chicken products, but it does not yet have a rating system in place for hatcheries.