Phil_Letten

We have a little Toyota Corolla that we drive around the country. It's packed to the brim. I also want to add that we almost never stay at motels. We have done 92 stops with this campaign and have probably stayed at a motel 4 times. We stay with local volunteers and people I have met over the last couple years on my travels. Every now and then we use the website www.couchsurfing.org.

We dress up because people take you more seriously when you are dressed up. And since we feel this is a serious issue I wear a suit and tie everyday.

Basically every other major food provider in the country has already committed to doing away with these crates. And Walmart is such a big player in the industry. So when they change on this issue, it will basically be the end of gestation crates.

I think that there are less cruel methods of getting meat. But in the end I feel the absolute best action we can take for the animals sake is to go vegetarian. I also want to add that even when a package says free range or cage free mutilated without painkillers. Piglets are castrated, have their teeth ripped out with pliers, etc.)

As far as with Walmart, all we are asking them to do is stop confining pregnant pigs in crates so small they can't even turn around.

All of our protests are set up on a public sidewalk, which means they are completely legal. Every now and then the management will come out and talk to us. And it's pretty awesome because they are almost always sympathetic to the cause!

The Walmart pork supplier that we investigated was also linked to Costco and Kmart. The night before we were set to release the investigation Costco and Kmart both came out and commited to phasing out gestation crates. We were also recently successful at getting Kraft Foods to do away with tail docking, which is the practice of slicing off a calf's tail without painkillers.

I think there are companies that are making strides in the right direction, but none that I would promote as being humane. I think the only way to be 100% humane is to go simply stop eating animals. With that said, when it comes to the issue of gestation crates Costco, Kmart, Kroger, Safeway, Mcdonalds, Burger King, Wendy's and a pretty long list of others have committed to doing away with them. With that said, all that means is the pigs will be given enough space to turn around, lie down, and engage in some natural behaviors. Far from ideal. But still a big step in the right direction.