Activist champions rights of chickens

Sunday, October 19, 2003

Rachel Bjork is giving a voice to the voiceless. In an effort to raise awareness for the conditions of factory chicken farms Bjork is riding her bike across the country and protesting KFC's along the way. Taking a pause from her cross-county bicycle odyssey Friday Bjork, a member of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), stopped at the Nevada KFC, where she stood quietly holding a poster depicting a blood splattered Colonel Sanders stabbing a plucked, screaming chicken. "The goal of this, to me, is to provide information," said Bjork. She said that she is not pushing veganism or any other agenda, she just wants people to make informed decisions. "I welcome people to tell me their ideas too," said Bjork, who admitted to never having actually been in a chicken barn. While Bjork would like everyone to turn to the veganism, a lifestyle that uses no animal products, she realizes that this is a lofty goal and would be more than happy with a change of management practices in the raising of chickens -- such as giving them more space to roam, extending the lifespan of farm raised birds and surveillance cameras to ensure humane practices. In addition, Bjork is also advocating a reduction in the amount of antibiotics given to the birds and gas being used to kill the chickens. Bjork claimed that chickens are treated the worst of all the animals and would just like to see them raised in a more humane setting. "I'm not saying they have to go out of business but things change, and they should change also," said Bjork. The life of a professional animal rights protester is widely misunderstood. "They usually just ignore me," said Bjork. She reports that only rarely are people mean to her, mostly saying things like: "Get a job!" or "Get a life!" The response to Bjorks protest was very light. A few people stopped to talk but in the end it turned out to be fairly anti-climactic. Gale Robinson, restaurant general manager for the Nevada KFC, just shrugged his shoulders and said, "Freedom of speech, that's what this country is all about." Official comment from KFC's corporate offices could not be obtained by press time on Saturday; however, the company's Web site, www.kfc.com, asserts that the company has an animal welfare board and offers a list of the company's animal welfare standards for its suppliers. It also states that the company is monitoring suppliers. A press release said, "it is our goal to only deal with suppliers who promise to maintain our high standards and share our commitment to animal welfare."

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