Jenny Davis-Boyd
Last week, people across the Atlanta metropolitan area spotted a billboard with a strong message for Dunkin’s executives: stop supporting animal cruelty.
When consumers called on Dunkin’ to follow through on its commitment to end its use of eggs from hens in cages, the company stayed virtually silent. So, compassionate consumers found creative ways to get the company’s attention and let its executives know that their empty promises are not acceptable.
On July 27, a mobile billboard took to the streets in Atlanta and Sandy Springs, Georgia—the hometown of Dunkin's parent company, Inspire Brands. The billboard featured the image of Inspire Brands' co-founder and CEO, Paul J. Brown, alongside video footage of brutalized, caged hens in industrial egg farms. The caption inverted Dunkin's iconic slogan to call attention to its failure on animal welfare, reading, "Dunkin' runs on cruelty."
While this was the first action to target Inspire Brands right outside its headquarters, people across the country have been peacefully protesting outside their local Dunkin’ locations, displaying banners that pressure the company to keep its cage-free promise.
Why are consumers targeting Dunkin'?
Consumers are targeting Inspire Brands, parent company of both Dunkin' and Sonic, because the corporation is not following through on its commitment to source 100% cage-free eggs by 2025.
Why accountability is important
In 2015, Dunkin' signaled that it would make a huge step in the right direction for animals by committing to eliminate battery cages from its supply chain in ten years. However, now it's 2022, and only 30% of the eggs that the company uses are cage-free. This lack of progress is unacceptable. By not living up to its animal welfare commitment, Dunkin' is supporting one of the worst forms of cruelty in factory farms—the confinement of hens in battery cages. Factory farms stuff up to 12 hens in a tiny cage, forcing hens to live out their entire lives in the space that is roughly the size of a sheet of paper. The confinement is so intense that hens can barely spread their wings, let alone engage in any of their natural behaviors, like nesting or dust-bathing. Cages are made of wire-mesh material that makes it difficult for hens to stand without discomfort, and can lead to foot deformities or injuries. Deprived of space and sunlight, and left to wallow in their own filth, hens will often fall into depression, or turn to harmful coping mechanisms, like pecking at themselves or one another. In short, the physical and mental anguish hens experience living in a cage is nothing less than torture. It doesn't have to be this way. Over 400 companies have committed to eliminating battery cages from their supply chains and switching to 100% cage-free eggs—and, thankfully, a majority of them have followed through on their commitments, regularly reporting progress towards eliminating cages entirely. But, Dunkin' is falling short. When companies make cage-free commitments that they don't follow through on, they benefit from the positive PR that comes with improved social responsibility, while continuing to support animal abuse behind the scenes. This is bad for consumers—who are misled into thinking they're buying a more ethical product—bad for business, and of course, bad for animals. This is why cage-free accountability is so important. If Dunkin' is truly "committed to the humane treatment of animals," as the company's animal welfare policy states, its executives need to make meaningful progress toward ending the egregious animal cruelty in its supply chain.
Who is Paul J. Brown?
Paul J. Brown—the executive pictured on the Atlanta Mobile Billboard—is the CEO and co-founder of Inspire Brands, parent company of Sonic and Dunkin'. As the company's leader, he has the power to affect the lives of millions of animals by getting the company to follow through on its commitment to go 100% cage-free. But, time is running out, and hens on factory farms are paying the price. Join us in calling on Paul J. Brown, and other members of Dunkin' and Inspire Brands' executive teams, to do the right thing and accelerate the company's progress towards ending animal cruelty.
Hold Dunkin' accountable
Whether it's on a billboard or in an email directly to the CEO, compassionate consumers' message to Dunkin' is clear: stop profiting off of empty promises. Together, we can hold Dunkin' accountable for following through on its commitment to end the abuse, and impact the lives of millions of chickens. Take action and tell Dunkin' to do the right thing.
