This is the initial letter I sent to legislators in the Florida House and Senate. I’ve sent a variation of it for the past few years and followed up with calls and meetings to find a sponsor for a bill banning foie gras in Florida. Please edit it and use it if you would like to send it to your State Representative or State Senator to request sponsorship of a bill to make foie gras illegal in your state. 

[Insert Name and Address of Legislator]

[Insert Date]

To the Honorable [Insert Legislator’s Name]:

I’m writing to request your sponsorship of a bill proposing a ban on the sale of foie gras in Florida. The production of foie gras inflicts terrible pain and suffering on ducks and geese. It involves force-feeding the birds until their livers become grotesquely enlarged, up to 10 times their normal size. Force-fed birds often suffer from injuries to their bills, throats, and stomachs, such as bruising and lacerations, and they develop life-threatening diseases, including fatty liver disease (that’s what foie gras is—a diseased liver) as well as gastrointestinal diseases and blockages, spleen and blood disorders, and respiratory illnesses. A 2004 Zogby poll revealed that 80 percent of Americans support such a ban. Please take a moment to watch this video so that you can learn more about the disturbing methods used to produce foie gras.

Why foie gras? It is widely considered the most gratuitous and egregious form of animal agriculture, so much so that 14 countries and California have banned the practice. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld the law in California providing precedent for its constitutionality. If you decide to sponsor this bill, the humane community will publicly support and celebrate your leadership on this historic step for animals.

I am available to discuss the bill proposal at your convenience. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Andrew Kirschner
Florida District ##
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