Companies know consumers care about the well-being of animals and want to avoid buying products that rely on raising animals in cramped and cruel conditions and feeding them antibiotics and other drugs. But instead of improving animal care and environmental standards, some companies trick consumers into buying factory-farmed products by marketing them as “natural,” “humane,” or “pasture-raised.”
That’s where the Animal Legal Defense Fund steps in, to protect animals and consumers by holding companies accountable for this deception.
That’s why we’re representing Oregon consumers in a lawsuit against Tillamook County Creamery Association for misleading Tillamook purchasers about the source of its dairy products. Tillamook’s advertising campaigns exclusively feature pasture-based, small-scale family farms in Tillamook County, Oregon. In reality? Up to 80% of Tillamook’s milk comes from the largest dairy feedlot in the country – a factory farm in the desert where tens of thousands of cows are kept on concrete and dirt, and where some suffer painful udder infections.
It is standard practice throughout the dairy industry to house cows on factory farms where they are confined on bare dirt or concrete, and stand amid their own waste. These cows are not grazing on rolling green hills or living the life of luxury that the marketing often depicts. These cows’ calves are also taken away from them within hours of birth, and after only a few years they’re sent to slaughter when they can no longer produce enough milk to be profitable.
The best way to ensure that you don’t inadvertently support this cruelty is by incorporating plant-based dairy products into your diet.
Don’t let companies get away with misleading advertising designed to profit off compassionate consumers. Voice your support for transparency in animal agriculture!
