Dear Supporter,

Last month Costco updated it’s animal welfare policy with noticeable changes to its pig welfare. In our opinion there’s some bad news and good news.

First the bad news: Rather than transitioning away from crates 100%, Costco appears to be digging in on allowing its suppliers to “limit the use of gestation crates”. As we’ve said before, this is the industry euphuism for a routine practice that confines mother pigs for the first third (six weeks) of their pregnancy cycles. Producers tell us they need this amount of time to confirm whether a breeding pig is truly pregnant. 

And now the good news: We are encouraged to see that Costco said that it is now working with suppliers to “further reduce the number of days that breeding sows spend in confinement.”  For months we have been encouraging Costco to consider using the latest technology and electronic systems that can significantly reduce the time it takes to confirm pregnancy – even reducing confinement time to less than two weeks. While certainly not the end goal (which is 100% crate free), we believe that reducing confinement from six weeks to two weeks is more humane for the animals, and can allow Costco to expand on its welfare commitments.

Let’s keep the pressure on Costco to reduce confinement time:

Costco members: 

• Call 1-800-774-2678  - Option #4.  Have your membership number handy. Once connected to a representative, introduce yourself. Use the script below as a guide or have your own polite conversation.​​​​​​
• Chat online. Hit the “chat us” button on the lower right of the page. 

Costco and NonCostco members: Go to Costco.com.  Just click the “Feedback” tab on the far right side of the screen. Find the Costco nearest to you, and leave your feedback.

Sample script: I read Costco’s June animal welfare update.  While it is disappointing that Costco is still allowing its suppliers to use gestation crates, I am glad to see that you are at least taking steps to reduce confinement time. Please tell your leadership to stay committed to finding these more ethical suppliers and keeping us consumers updated on your progress.  

Thanks for your continued support!

For the animals,

Crate Free USA