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- National Animal Rights Association, Suite 10684, 26/27 Upper Pembroke Street, Dublin 2, D02 X361.
Foie Gras
Every year millions of ducks and geese are killed for foie gras. This horrific industry is only kept alive because of the people who still buy into this cruelty. If you knew what happened to these poor animals, would you make a difference?
What is Foie Gras?
Foie gras is made from the forcibly enlarged livers of ducks and geese. Only males are used for foie gras, because they produce larger livers. Females are killed upon hatching, by being either drowned, beaten or crushed to death.
A long metal pipe is rammed down the throats of these ducks and geese, 2 – 3 times a day, to force-feed them a total of 7lbs of grain. This soon results
in their livers swelling to up to 10 times their normal size – which is actually a serious disease called hepatic lipidosis.
The metal pipe sometimes ruptures the esophagus, causing many birds to die, choking on the blood that then fills their lungs. The amount of feed pumped down their throats causes enormous internal pressure, causing some birds to literally burst. Others become so weak that they are unable to move or die a slow, painful, and premature death by suffocating on the inhalation of regurgitated feed. In fact, because of the massive toll taken on the birds during the force-feeding process, the average pre-slaughter mortality rate is up to twenty times higher than on other poultry factory farms.
Although the production of foie gras is illegal in Ireland, it is still imported from other countries such as France and Portugal.
In addition to enduring force-feeding, the ducks and geese also suffer the same neglectful and abusive treatment of other factory-farmed animals such as overcrowding and mutilations (their beaks are cut off).
They are kept in either group or individual cages, made solely from wire or plastic-mesh. Unable to feel the sun on their backs or ground beneath their feet, their cages are so small that they cannot fully stand or stretch their wings. To make matters worse, they are housed without access to swimming water even though ducks need to be able to immerse themselves in water to remain healthy.
Access to water on these farms is so limited that they cannot clean their nostrils and eyes, which can lead to blindness. They have no chance to carry out any of their natural instincts, which include interacting in social groups, keeping themselves clean, nurturing their young, and exploring their surroundings.
After living an unbelievably horrific and painful life, they then have to go through a violent death by having their throats slit whilst hung upside-down.
There is no excuse for this barbaric industry to exist.
It's time to ban the import and sale of foie gras in Ireland!
So, what are we doing about it?
Protests
Over the years we have protested dozens of restaurants serving foie gras - and had huge success in getting them to eliminate it from their menus. If you find any restaurant serving foie gras, please let us know so we can get in touch with them immediately.
Awarness
Seen as a "luxury" item, foie gras isn't that widespread in Ireland, and therefore some people are unaware of what it is. If you see it for sale anywhere, please make a complaint - the more objections businesses get, the less inclined they are to sell it!
Lobbying
Foie gras is illegal to produce in Ireland, on grounds of animal cruelty, so why do we import it? It's time to campaign for an import ban - please lobby your local TD!
NARA is a legal, grassroots level organisation that only operates within the law. Information on this website is for the purpose of legal protest and information only. It should not be used to commit any criminal acts or harassment. NARA is not affiliated to any other animal rights group. NARA has no links or involvement with the Animal Liberation Front or the Animal Rights Militia. Any articles published on this web site relating to illegal activities are posted for the sole reason of publishing news related to animal rights, and are not intended to incite or encourage similar acts.
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CONTACT
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- National Animal Rights Association, Suite 10684, 26/27 Upper Pembroke Street, Dublin 2, D02 X361.
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