DC and Denver Voters Ban Foie Gras

Both cities approved ballot measures to ban its production and sale. DC voted 73.2% in favor of the ban, while Denver voted 67.4% in favor of the ban.

These wins belong to the ducks and geese at the center of this industry, to the intrepid advocates at Pro-Animal Future who led the charge on these efforts, and to the volunteers who spent months gathering signatures to give voters the chance to speak up for them.

Here’s what happened

In DC, voters approved Initiative 86, a measure banning the production and sale of foie gras produced through force-feeding. Early results showed about 73% of voters saying yes.

In Denver, voters passed Initiative 311, a ban on the production and sale of force-fed foie gras. Early results showed 66% of voters in support.

Two cities held two votes, and in both places most voters said they don’t want this cruelty sold in their communities.

The volunteers behind the wins

Pro-Animal Future, a member of THL’s Animal Policy Alliance, and their local campaign teams led both efforts. The Animal Policy Alliance is a group of organizations working to pass laws that protect farmed animals.

Their numbers are impressive. In DC, the campaign gathered 46,020 signatures to qualify Initiative 86 for the ballot. That’s more signatures than any other initiative in the city’s history has gathered, and nearly 130 volunteers helped make it happen.

In Denver, 84 volunteers collected 16,000 signatures to put Initiative 311 on the ballot. They did it without paid signature gatherers.

Think about what that took. Volunteers gave up evenings and weekends to talk with their neighbors about ducks and geese. Those conversations turned into signatures, and the signatures turned into votes. Organized, consistent grassroots work changed the law in two major cities.

How THL supported these campaigns

We’re proud to have supported Pro-Animal Future throughout these campaigns. THL provided expert advice and $195,000 in grants through the Animal Policy Alliance. You can read more about our grant program and the groups it supports.

The credit for these victories goes to Pro-Animal Future, their volunteers, and the voters who showed up. When you support THL, you help us fund local advocates like these.

What this means for ducks and geese

The foie gras covered by these bans is produced by force-feeding ducks and geese. If you’re new to the issue, we’ve explained what happens inside the foie gras industry and why it causes so much suffering.

Each measure does two things. It bans force-feeding ducks and geese to produce foie gras, and it bans the sale of foie gras made that way. The production ban means producers can’t force-feed birds for foie gras in DC or Denver. The sales ban goes further: restaurants and stores in both cities can’t sell force-fed foie gras, even if it was produced somewhere else.

Every duck and goose trapped in this industry is an individual who deserves to live free from this kind of treatment. These two measures mean fewer places where businesses can profit from force-feeding.

The wins also show what voters think. When people in DC and Denver had the chance to weigh in directly, most of them sided with the animals.

What happens next

This year’s victories are helping build a stronger movement for farmed animals—including ducks and geese—and we’re committed to carrying that momentum forward. Earlier this year, Pro-Animal Future built on the significant groundwork laid by Animal Equality to secure a foie gras sales ban in Portland through the city council, which goes into effect in 2027. We’ve also covered New York City’s foie gras ban, and we’ll keep you posted as new campaigns move forward.

Wins like these only matter if we defend them. Right now, Congress is weighing a Farm Bill that, as we’ve explained, could threaten state animal protection laws that people across the country fought hard to pass. Bans like the ones in DC and Denver, which target how foie gras is produced, would be at high risk of repeal if the Save Our Bacon (SOB) Act passes. To protect these wins, and to keep passing bans like them, we must defeat Save Our Bacon.

Help protect the progress voters are making

Voters in DC and Denver showed what happens when people speak up for animals. You can add your voice today. Tell your members of Congress to protect the animal protection laws people have worked so hard to win. It only takes a minute.