Humane World for Animals delivers over 195,000 signatures to Target demanding action on animal welfare commitments

Advocates gathered outside of Target headquarters to urge the retailer to follow through on decade-long promises to reduce animal suffering

MINNEAPOLIS, July 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Humane World for Animals, formerly called the Humane Society of the United States, delivered more than 195,000 signatures in person to Target's downtown Minneapolis headquarters, calling on the company to fulfill its long-overdue commitments to eliminate the extreme confinement of pigs and hens in its supply chain. 

In 2012, Target pledged to stop sourcing pork from farms that confine pregnant pigs in gestation crates so small they are unable to even turn around. Then in 2016, the company committed to selling only cage-free eggs by 2025. Yet, despite making these pledges more than a decade ago, Target has failed to deliver on either promise.

During the petition event, speakers, advocates and supporters from Humane World for Animals delivered 15 large boxes of signed petitions alongside life-sized battery cages stuffed with replica chickens. Dozens of members of the public engaged with the advocates and expressed support for Target's transition to selling eggs and pork sourced from chickens and pigs who are not forced to suffer in extreme confinement. Meanwhile, a mobile billboard circled downtown Minneapolis urging the public to visit the campaign website, TargetCruelty.com.

"We delivered a critical message to Target backed by more than 195,000 consumers: extreme confinement of farm animals is not only cruel but completely unnecessary," said Kent Stein, corporate policy specialist at Humane World for Animals and one of the event's speakers. "We urge Target to listen to its customers and follow through on long overdue promises to eliminate animal cruelty in its supply chain. We know they can do better just like all the large corporations who have already made, kept and implemented their commitments to animal welfare."

On a typical egg factory farm, hens are crammed into barren wire cages where they endure a lifetime of captivity in a space smaller than a single letter-sized sheet of paper. Pregnant pigs confined in horrific gestation crates suffer from muscle and bone deterioration as well as severe distress, gnawing on the bars of their small cages until their mouths bleed.

"More than a decade has passed since Target made these commitments, yet millions of animals in its supply chain are still suffering in tiny cages," said Aaron Zellhoefer, Minnesota state director at Humane World for Animals and a featured speaker at the event. "While many high-profile companies have already made good on their commitments—including Minnesota-based General Mills—Target continues to fall behind. Stop stalling. The time for action is now."

Fourteen states have already banned one or both of forms of extreme confinement for egg-laying hens and pregnant pigs, and hundreds of major companies—including Amazon, McDonald's, Costco, Unilever and Nestlé—have adopted similar policies within their U.S. operations.

To learn more and take action visit TargetCruelty.com.

• Download Photos/Videos of today's event
• Download Photos/Videos of animals in gestation crates and battery cages 

About Humane World for Animals

Together, we tackle the root causes of animal cruelty and suffering to create permanent change. With millions of supporters and work happening in over 50 countries, Humane World for Animals—formerly called the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International—addresses the most deeply entrenched forms of animal cruelty and suffering. As the leading voice in the animal protection space, we work to end the cruelest practices, care for animals in crisis and build a stronger animal protection movement. Driving toward the greatest global impact, we aim to achieve the vision behind our name: a more humane world.
humaneworld.org

SOURCE Humane World for Animals.