A ‘fowl’ weather protest

PETA supporters protest Kentucky Fried Chicken’s treatment of birds
Bill Wolcott
Lockport Union-Sun & Journal

The big chicken did not cross the road to protest KFC on West Avenue on Saturday. The fowl costume did not arrive on time for the noon demonstration by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

It was cold, breezy and drizzling when the five PETA supporters stood in front of the restaurant. There were four customers in the shop, which offers Colonel Sanders’ chicken recipes.

Brian Tschaepe, 17, a senior at Lockport High School, led the local protest against torturing chickens. His father, Karl Tschaepe, provided support, as did Lockport classmates Jocelyn Pecoraro, Camille Granchelli and Mallory Passuite.

“I was planning on wearing a big chicken costume to keep me warm, but there was a little difficulty with the mailing process,” said Passuite, who was carrying a Pamela Anderson poster. “She’s a vegetarian. She cares about animals and their treatment. So does Paul McCartney.”

The young women wished that the Beatle would show up, too, but were not surprised McCartney did not make a Lockport stop

“I don’t think he (McCartney) got the letter, probably more difficulty with the mail,” the girls said.

However, this is a serious issue for PETA, which claims that KFC tortures 850 million chickens annually.

According to the PETA pamphlet, McCartney stated, “If KFC suppliers treated dogs or cats the way they treat chickens, they could be charged with the crime of cruelty to animals.”

“They cram them together,” said Brian Tschaepe. “The chickens’ throats burn from the chemicals that are around. KFC slices off their beaks with a hot metal blade. It’s not like cutting off fingernails, they actually feel that pain.

“KFC runs them through an electrical bath system, which would be fine, but in order to save money KFC turns down the electricity so much that the chickens are still alive when they are scalded.”

PETA has protests nationally on the first Saturday of the month and the West Avenue manager was alerted by her superiors not to comment or to allow interviews in the restaurant. KFC Customer Service (1-800 225-5532) could not be reached to comment.

“I think there’s better causes out there than chickens,” said Joe Speer, who agreed to step outside the KFC after enjoying lunch with his wife and 9-year-old son Tanner. “It’s a chicken — an ugly bird, great tasting. If it didn’t taste good, they would have been extinct a long time ago.”

The protest did not bother Tanner. “I really don’t care,” said Tanner, who attends Gasport Elementary School. “All they do is cut off their beaks so they don’t destroy each other so we can’t eat ‘em.”

Chickens are excluded from the only federal law that protects farmed animals, the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act.

According to Tschaepe, KFC refused to sign any agreement with PETA. PETA proposed that KFC give the chickens more room to themselves so they won’t have to slice off their beaks; KFC stop drugging them, (the KFC drugs the chickens so they get too fat too fast); and that the birds be killed before the feathers are removed.

Pecoraro, who was carrying a Dick Gregory poster, protested, “...so people don’t eat at KFC. It’s gross. I’ve never eaten KFC in my entire life. They’re mean to their chickens.”

Granchelli was freezing, but wanted to support Brian Tschaepe. “We just had a lady drive by and say, ‘What’s the cause?’ She looked like she was going through the drive through. Mallory told her what the cause was for and she drove off. We saved the day, at least a couple chickens.”

“Maybe one and a half,” Passuite said.

Speer feels, “I know kids want to do things, be unique, but there are better ways to do it than protesting chicken.”

According to PETA, the KFC’s own welfare advisors agree that the company needs to more improvements in animal welfare. The PETA invites people to visit the KentuckyFriedCruelty.com Web site to access video footage of animals suffering on KFC-supplier factory farms and slaughterhouses.



-- Edited by kspeer at 09:51, 2006-02-06