030105 Animal Rights Group to Protests Against KFCJanuary 7, 2003Louisville, KY - An animal rights group said it will launch international protests against KFC after failing to negotiate changes in the way the fast-food giant raises and slaughters chickens. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said it wants KFC, owned by Louisville-based Yum Brands, Inc., to abandon practices such as stunning and slitting the throats of chickens and instead use gas to kill them more humanely. It also wants KFC to ensure the birds have more space and perches, are not subjected to fast-growth techniques, and are selected with automated devices instead of being caught by hand. The group, which has waged successful campaigns against the McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's chains, said that more than two years of negotiations with Yum Brands have produced little progress. "McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's responded to consumer pressure. KFC would do well to follow their lead," PETA spokesman Bruce Friedrich said. The group will hold news conferences in Louisville, Toronto and London on Tuesday to illustrate claims of animal cruelty by KFC and urge a boycott. Next week, the group plans anti-KFC events in Rome; Stuttgart, Germany; and Bombay, India. Yum Brands has said it is committed to humane treatment of chickens and frequently audits its suppliers to ensure strict compliance with its guidelines.
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