Pacific Coast Feather Must Stop Telling Customers That Its Feathers Do Not Come From Birds Who Are Force-Fed, PETA Attorneys Say
For Immediate Release:
March 5, 2013
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
Seattle -- PETA has fired off a letter to Pacific Coast Feather—the largest manufacturer of down- and feather-filled bedding in the United States—calling on the company to stop intentionally misleading its customers about the source of the feathers that it uses. As PETA explains, Pacific Coast has repeatedly told customers that "[w]e do not deal with vendors that practice force feeding," yet PETA has found that the company does, in fact, obtain feathers from Hudson Valley Foie Gras, where workers shove metal pipes down birds' throats and pump excess amounts of grain and fat into their stomachs to enlarge their livers.
"Pacific Coast has acknowledged to PETA that its bedding is filled with feathers taken from birds who were cruelly force-fed and killed for foie gras, and now it needs to be honest with its customers," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "Pacific Coast's false claim that it doesn't support this abuse is designed to mislead shoppers who are concerned about animal welfare."
During foie gras production, pipes are shoved down birds' throats, and up to 4 pounds of grain and fat are pumped into their stomachs two or three times a day. The birds' livers become diseased and swell to up to 10 times their normal size. The pipes puncture many birds' throats, causing some of them to bleed to death. Many foie gras farms boost their profits by selling the feathers from these force-fed birds, as revealed in a new PETA video exposé narrated by Alicia Silverstone.
Warm, animal-friendly bedding and winter clothing are available everywhere. PETA encourages shoppers to check labels for synthetic down, down alternative, polyester fill, or high-tech fabrics such as PrimaLoft® and Thinsulate™—soft, washable, down-like fibers. In most cases, these options are superior to down because synthetic alternatives will still insulate you when they get wet.
For more information, please visit PETA.org.
