PETA and John Robbins sueing Dairy Industry

[Guest guest]

thanks for telling us the big article, Mr. J.W.

 

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2002/12/10/state1605ES\

T0084.DTL

 

Animal rights group seeks end to 'Happy Cows' ad

campaign

 

MARK SHERMAN, Associated Press Writer Tuesday,

December 10, 2002

 

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(12-10) 13:05 PST (AP) --

 

Animal rights activists who complain that California

dairy cows do not live the happy life shown in a

popular television advertising campaign for the

state's cheese producers say they'll head to court

Wednesday to try to force the ads off the air.

 

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and author

John Robbins of Santa Cruz, using California's strong

consumer protection laws, plan to ask a San Francisco

superior court judge to ban the Happy Cows ads because

they are false, unfairly favor California cheese over

other states' cheeses and mislead consumers about

environmental damage from the dairy industry.

 

PETA has planned news conferences Wednesday in Los

Angeles and San Francisco to announce the legal

action.

 

The humorous ads, which feature cows that talk, show

cows in green pastures and contend that " great cheese

comes from happy cows. " Happy cows, the ads say, come

from California.

 

In a recent commercial, a high-strung chicken pesters

two impassive cows for the secret of their

tranquility. Finally, the chicken says, " Silence. OK,

like a Zen thing. I get it, grasshopper. "

 

After the chicken moves on, one cow says, " Wow. " The

other chimes in, " Yeah, poultry. "

 

The California Milk Advisory Board, which produced the

ads, credits the commercials with helping California

close in on Wisconsin, the leading cheese producer.

California farmers produced 1.6 billion pounds of

cheese in 2001.

 

" Where the ads are seen, it creates more demand, " said

Nancy Fletcher, the milk advisory board's spokeswoman.

 

 

But PETA says most California dairy cows live not in

bucolic pastures, but in filthy, grassless lots where

they are forced to give too much milk and are

separated from their calves too soon.

 

" Increasing numbers of the public do want to know how

the food they eat is produced, " said Robbins, son of a

co-founder of Baskin-Robbins ice cream.

 

Robbins is a vegetarian, and PETA advocates a

dairy-free diet. But Robbins said the issue is

informed choice.

 

" This ad campaign is such an affront to people who

want to make an informed choice, " he said.

 

The complaint says, " Contrary to the depictions in the

Happy Cows ads, the vast majority of California dairy

cows do not live easy lives. "

 

In October, the Federal Trade Commission declined to

take action on a similar complaint from PETA.

 

Fletcher said the group, having lost at the FTC, is

simply shopping for anyone to take a look at the

complaint, which she said is groundless.

 

" The better our farmers take care of cows, the more

productive they are, " she said. " It's in the best

interest of dairy farmers to take care of their cows. "

 

 

The cheese producers' Web site sells a variety of

Happy Cows souvenirs, including plush toys and

T-shirts that say, " So much grass, so little time. "

 

The site also offers testimonials from happy

consumers. Bob from Exeter, Calif., wrote: " Please do

not let whoever is complaining about the commercials

stop you from doing them. My family now looks for the

real California cheese label because of the

commercials. "

 

Robbins, who grew up in a Southern California home

with a backyard swimming pool shaped like an ice cream

cone, said dairy operations are inhumane.

 

" What if the ads showed calves being ripped away from

their mothers? " he said.

 

 

 

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