000906 PETA Suspends Anti-McDonald's Ads

Norfolk, VA - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has suspended its campaign against McDonald's in response to the fast-food chain's announcement that it will improve living conditions for its chickens.

As part of the one-year moratorium, PETA will cease distribution of “Unhappy Meal” boxes that come with bloodied toy animals, the animal rights group said Wednesday.

The campaign, which kicked off Oct. 1, included billboards depicting a bloody, slaughtered cow's head and the slogan: “McDonalds. Cruelty to go.”

PETA faxed a letter to Jack Greenberg, CEO of McDonald's, commending the corporation's recent actions. The letter said the group had suspended its campaign “to afford McDonald's a decent amount of time to make other important changes in line with its public pledge to keep moving forward with animal welfare improvements.”

The letter also included a request for measures that PETA says would relieve chronic leg pain in fowl, as well as a bid for an increase in the number of unannounced audits in slaughterhouses.

McDonald's officials said PETA's campaign had nothing to do with its initiative to improve conditions for its laying hens. PETA “refused to have a constructive dialogue with McDonald's and our outstanding team of experts,” the company said in a statement.

RETURN TO HOME PAGE

E-mail: sflanagan@sprintmail.com