Target: Brian Baldridge, Director of Ohio Department of Agriculture
Goal: Lessen impact of fires on farms and the animals living on them.
Another fire in Ohio has left thousands of farm animals dead. The fire broke out at Fine Oak Farms, which hosts a massive hog complex. Despite firefighters’ best efforts, most of the hogs at the facility perished in the blaze.
This tragedy is far from unprecedented. In the past year alone, over 160 cattle, horses, sheep, chickens, and other farm dwellers died from fire-related causes in Ohio. And in the past four years, 3,000-plus hogs and pigs lost their lives in just two fires. Across the nation, the number of farm animals dead via fires soars to the hundreds of thousands.
Sign the petition below to demand Ohio officials put stronger safeguards in place to protect these innocent living beings from a literally hellish fate.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Director Baldridge,
Death by fire arguably tops the nightmare lists of many people. The very thought of struggling for one clean breath or of burning alive would send a shiver through anyone. This grim nightmare has turned reality for an abundance of Ohio’s farm animals. Most recently, a Madison County farm fire killed thousands of hogs. Similar horrific incidents have happened too many times in Ohio’s recent past.
These vulnerable and dependent animals must be protected by any means at your disposal. Prioritize fire resilience in inspections. Create stronger guidelines and systems of accountability for farms that do not meet safety standards. Invest in better agriculture infrastructure. Advocate for state laws that place a premium on livestock safeguards.
In a country that sees hundreds of thousands of farm animals perish each year because of largely preventable fires, set a life-saving precedent that the rest of American agriculture will strive to emulate.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Mark Stebnicki
