June 27, 2002


Although he was on his honeymoon, Paul McCartney took time out to write a letter to McDonald’s top 100 shareholders, calling on them to urge the fast-food giant to extend its U.S. farmed animal welfare standards to all of the company’s 29,000 restaurants worldwide.  

In his letters—written on behalf of PETA and Boston-based socially responsible investment firm Trillium Asset Management—McCartney points out that “abuse is abuse. Whether it goes on in Sussex or San Salvador, Toronto or Tijuana … the public does not want to support injustice anywhere … good practices in one country must be mirrored by good practices everywhere.”   

In 1999, PETA launched a year-long campaign against McDonald’s, which ended with the company’s acceptance of upgraded standards for the care and slaughter of animals killed for its U.S. restaurants. Burger King, Wendy’s, and Safeway have already surpassed McDonald’s animal welfare record, pledging to internationalize standards. At McDonald’s annual meeting in May, shareholders hoping to keep up with competitors’ and customers’ rising conscientiousness supported the resolution to internationalize with more than 42 million votes (4.7 percent of votes), exceeding the number needed to reintroduce the measure next year. 

 More information about PETA’s campaign against McDonald’s is available at McCruelty.com. More information about Trillium Asset Management is available at www.trilliuminvest.com.
 
Sir Paul McCartney’s letter to McDonald’s shareholders follows. PETA’s “Fact From Fiction” factsheet, referred to and enclosed in Sir Paul’s letters, is also available.