About Crate Free USA

Working to Improve Animal Welfare Standards on Factory Farms

Our Mission:

Reduce Suffering of Animals on Factory Farms

Our Story

Formed in March 2015, Crate Free USA is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. The people who work with Crate Free USA are a group of animal lovers (some vegetarian or vegan, some not) united by their belief that, in the end, there’s really no difference between cruelty inflicted on a dog, cat, bird, horse, chicken, calf or pig.

Why We Do This

Factory-farmed animals are the most exploited and least protected group of animals on the planet.

Pig in dark

As Americans, we shower our house pets with love and affection. Across the nation, there are comprehensive laws to protect dogs and cats. But sadly, factory-farmed animals are the most exploited and least protected group of animals on the planet. As a result they endure mistreatment in ways that are hard to even imagine.

And unfortunately, most meat eaters have no idea of what happens to food animals before they get to the plate.

There is something seriously wrong with a food system where the best day of an animal’s life is the day that life is taken. Our purpose is to change this through consumer education, activism, and by supporting farmers who treat animals and the environment with respect.

What’s life like for a pig, chicken, cow or calf on a factory farm?

Chickens overcrowded

Factory farms are designed to do one thing: Make money. The victims, of course, are the unfortunate animals who exist there.

Factory farmed animals lead lives of unrelenting misery. They suffer extreme confinement and are deprived of their natural behaviors. They’re bred to grow way too quickly to unnatural weights. Breeding sows endure their lives in crates so small they can’t turn around and egg-laying chickens exist in spaces so small they can’t spread their wings. Even mutilation is routine.

Factory farmers are eager to advertise their advancements in things like nutrition, technology, and livestock management. Yet most consumers agree: This is no substitute for humane animal stewardship.

The good news is that many producers around the country are hearing consumers and eliminating crates and cages.

But the fight is far from over: More consumers need to make humane food choices; we need more laws to protect farm animals; and more producers still need to transition away from inhumane and outdated practices.