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Brad Pitt takes his fight to Costco

Brad Pitt who recently starred in FURY has become a bit annoyed himself and sent a letter to the chief executive of Costco Thursday asking the company to stop selling eggs produced by caged chickens. In the letter, Pitt says caged birds suffer atrophy of their muscles and bones from years of immobility. He also added that these practices have been banned in California and much of Europe. "As you know, these birds producing eggs for your shelves are crammed five or more into cages that are not large enough for even one hen to spread her wings," Pitt writes. In addition, Bill Maher joined the conversation last week with The New York Times. "Multiple investigations into battery cages document animals with deteriorated spinal cords, some who have become paralyzed and then mummified in their cages," Maher wrote. "Imagine cramming five cats or dogs into tiny cages, hundreds of thousands in each shed, for their entire lives. That would warrant cruelty charges, of course. But when the egg industry does it to hens, it's considered business as usual." Farm Sanctuary, an organization that advocates against the mistreatment of animals and factory farming is referenced by both Pitt and Maher who commended Costco for it's earlier animal-welfare efforts. In 2007, the company made a promise to move toward cage fee hens and Pitt and Maher have asked that they make good. Costco has said in an earlier statement that the information on cage free eggs is conflicting. "Some, such as the Humane Society, advocate that hens be 'cage free,' and not confined in cages. Some advocate that cages are safer for hens," the statement reads. However, Costco acknowledges that the sales of organic/cage-free eggs have increased "more than twentyfold" over the past nine years. They also stated that the company is "committed to the ethical treatment of animals". Regardless, Maher and Pitt are using their voices to raise awareness.


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