Dear Supporter,

Take a look at Costco's online animal welfare page: It says their goal is that on or before 12/31/22 "100% of the pork sold in our fresh departments ... be from open pen gestation housing". (Open pens mean  mother pigs are housed in groups instead of locked in individual cages).

Sounds good ... but dig deeper and you'll see that Costco isn't really eliminating crates!

Here's why:  Like other mega-producers, Costco's major pork suppliers still use gestation crates for the first third − that's six weeks − of the pig's pregnancy cycle. So while this sounds like a straightforward commitment to end the use of crates, apparently it is not. Bottom line: Costco isn't really eliminating gestation crates, just reducing their use.

Costco members: Please hold Costco accountable!  Ask them to require their suppliers to eliminate gestation crates for 100% of the time.  

Here's how how you can help:

• Call: 1-800-774-2678  - Option #1. Have your membership number handy.
• Chat online. Go to "contact us" on lower left. Select Warehouse/Membership, followed by Product Information

You can follow this script or come up with a polite version of your own:     "I'm disappointed to learn that, in spite of your promise to go crate free by 2022, your suppliers use gestation crates for the 1st six weeks of a pig's pregnancy cycle. Please make good on your promise - commit to selling 100% crate free pork."

Non-Costco members: Please provide feed at Costco.com.  Just click the small blue “Feedback” tab on the far right side of the screen. Select "website."  

One policy change from a company like Costco can make a lifetime of difference for hundreds of thousands of animals.

Thank you for speaking out!

Crate Free USA