Arby’s: Stop Supporting Chicken Torture!

Arby's has always touted its commitment to corporate social responsibility and humane treatment of animals. Unfortunately, Mercy For Animals has recently learned that Arby's allows the horrific animal cruelty it claims to reject.

Arby's allows its suppliers to abuse chickens in ways other chains have banned for being too cruel. Raised in near total darkness, many birds are bred to grow so large, so fast, they collapse under their own weight. They often suffer from constant leg pain so severe they can’t stand and spend almost all their time sitting in their own waste. At slaughter, they are shackled upside down and shocked with electricity before their throats are cut open—all while fully conscious. Many are even scalded alive.

Unlike other restaurants, Arby's has failed to publish a chicken welfare policy. Arby's has already fallen behind the leadership of Burger King, Qdoba, Subway, Jack in the Box, Einstein Brothers Bagels, Chipotle, Panera Bread, Starbucks, Ruby Tuesday, TGI Fridays, Noodles & Company, Pret A Manger, Le Pain Quotidien, Shake Shack, and Quiznos, restaurant chains with detailed public commitments for improving chicken welfare in their supply chains. If current CEO Paul Brown can't meet consumers’ urgent demands for transparency and accountability, it’s time for Arby's to find a CEO who can.

Please ask Arby's leaders to adopt the same comprehensive animal welfare commitments for chickens as their competitors and boycott their restaurants until they do. Arby's should live up to its “PurposeFULL” brand and agree to source only chickens from farms that use higher-welfare breeds; do not use live-shackle slaughter; and provide enrichments, reduced stocking density, and improved light and litter quality. The company should also commit to third-party auditing to demonstrate compliance with these standards.