For the love of the animal

Over the past year, former Sun City resident Jess Chipkin has become increasingly aware of what happens to animals living on large factory farms.

Around November 2014, she viewed an image of a goose being force fed, and just witnessing the look on the bird’s face made her want to do something in the area.

Enter Crate Free Illinois, a nonprofit organization that Chipkin is in the process of forming. The Illinois-based group has a focus on animal welfare on factory farms, and the group’s goal is rather straightforward.

“Whether achieved by consumer pressure on Illinois’ major pork producers, such as Carlyle-based The Maschhoffs, or through legislation, our goal is to end the extreme confinement of factory farm animals in Illinois,” Chipkin said.

The ultimate goal, however, is to make Illinois the 10th state to ban gestation crates. It is a very difficult and specific goal, Chipkin notes, but she is ready to take it on.

While she is currently collaborating with the Farm Animal Protection from The Humane Society of the U.S., Chipkin notes that the group is and will be Illinois-centric.

The group will have a two-pronged approach, the first being consumer activism. Crate Free will target some of the larger pork producers in the state, none of whom have gone after group housing.

“There is a trend to move away from gestation crates and move into group housing…and a lot of companies are making progress on that so far. Unfortunately in Illinois, we’re stuck in the mud in terms of any sign of change,” Chipkin said.

“We have a lot of work ahead of us. Most would agree that, not even if you’re a die-hard animal lover, steel cages are kind of unacceptable to most people.”

The other prong is an awareness on the amount of medication and antibiotics that are getting into the food supply. As disease spreads at a quicker pace due to animal proximity, animals are being given medicine to combat those diseases, and some are even being given growth antibiotics to accelerate growth.

Illinois is the No. 1 state when it comes to animal welfare, according to Chipkin, but there is no mention of farm animals, so the group is speaking to a state legislator who sponsored a bill to consider adding an amendment regarding these animals, “which would be a path we’d take.”

Crate Free is looking for more volunteers. While all are welcome, Chipkin wanted to stress that eating habits do not necessarily have to play a role. Of the about 12 active participants, two are vegan, about three are vegetarians, and the remaining are meat eaters, she notes.

“It’s not about stopping people from eating meat; just become more aware of what happens to the animals before they get to their plate. And that’s where the change has to come in,” Chipkin said.

“There are a lot of retired professional, a lot of animal lovers, who could help move this along,” she adds. “There is a huge amount of work that needs to be done.”

Crate Free is looking for volunteers to do more fundraising, someone who may be able to serve in a financial operations role or as its treasurer. Additionally, Chipkin said they are seeking a volunteer coordinator, individuals to help out with fundraisers and even brainstorm on strategies.

“It’s kind of an open book since the organization is only two months old,” she said.

For those interested in learning more about the group, visit cratefreeil.org or visit the group’s Facebook page. You can also email Chipkin at jess@cratefreeil.org.

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