Katrina Tomecek, a student at Suffolk Law School, is flanked by other animal activists yesterday morning as she stands in a human-sized version of an animal cage used on farms to confine breeding sows. The animal rights advocates visited Park Square yesterday morning to show residents, and especially State Rep. John Velis, the highly restrictive cages which are targeted by a pending bill which will be considered by the committee of the legislature which Velis was appointed to. (Photo by Carl E. Hartdegen)
WESTFIELD – Activists supporting pending legislation to ban extreme forms of animal confinement of animals on farms in the Commonwealth visited the city yesterday to bring their support to the home of State Rep. John Velis who sits on the judiciary committee which must approve the bill.
The proposed law, H.1456, would prohibit the use of the most extreme forms of animal confinement. A similar bill, S.741, is pending in the Massachusetts senate.
About a dozen people representing the Massachusetts Humane Society and the Western Massachusetts Animal Rights Advocates gathered at Park Square yesterday morning with signs and examples of the confinement systems some farm animal endure to showcase the issue of inhumane treatment of farm animals.
Katrina Tomecek, an animal rights advocate and a student at Suffolk Law School, spent time in a human-sized cage similar to cages that breeding sows are kept in which make it impossible for them to turn around or stretch their limbs.
Alexis Fox, a spokesperson with the group who represents the Humane Society of the United States, said that the group is on a three-day tour which will take them to six communities which are home to state representatives positioned, like Velis, to influence the passage of the bill.
