Ohio Animal-Welfare Reforms

The state of Ohio has given final approval to a new set of animal-welfare reforms, brought on by an agreement between animal-welfare advocates and the agriculture industry last year. The Ohio Livestock Standards Board has agreed to phase out veal crates, and ban new gestation crates for pigs and construction of new battery-cage confinement facilities. The agreement will also improve the treatment of sick and injured farm animals, such as regulating killing practices and banning the transport of downer cows for slaughter. Mercy For Animals is calling it “the most comprehensive set of farmed animal-welfare reforms ever enacted by any state at one time.” The reforms are likely the result of undercover footage showing violent treatment of farmed animals in Ohio, which made headlines earlier this year.