In 2001, Wendy’s established our industry-leading Animal Welfare Council. We believed then, as we do today, that we have a responsibility to support proper care for the animals that are an essential part of our supply chain. This council provides a cross functional forum to shape our policies and advance the cause of proper animal care and welfare. The ideals and standards of the council—and the Wendy’s Animal Welfare Program—were developed with support and partnership from animal care pioneer and professor of animal science at Colorado State University, Dr. Temple Grandin.
In 2018, we expanded our council to include experts from academia, animal agriculture, veterinary medicine and animal care to provide a diversity of perspectives. This helps us stay on the forefront of progressive animal care standards, but the focus and commitment of Wendy’s Animal Welfare Council remains the same: to regularly review and strengthen our animal welfare standards while continually evaluating the performance of suppliers to ensure full compliance.
- Do the right thing for animals
- Be diversified in our membership, learn from experts, and act accordingly
- Be transparent in all we do and provide a rational basis for our decisions
- Be thoughtful, yet progressive in our approach
- Regularly meet to review our all-species welfare programs
- Identify emerging issues and opportunities to discuss and form opinions
- Establish an open forum through frequent email and phone consultation to ensure real-time counsel on specific welfare topics
- Seek additional consultation as we create or update our welfare programs
We’d like to recognize and thank the members of our Animal Welfare Council Advisors:
- John Butler, CEO, Beef Marketing Group
- Dr. Karen Christensen, Sr. Director of Animal Welfare, Tyson Foods
- Dr. Kelly George, Executive Director, Zoological Association of America; Partner, The Kuzo Group LLC
- Pat Hord, President, Hord Family Farms
- Dr. Darrin Karcher, Associate Professor, Poultry Extension Specialist, Purdue University
- Collette Kaster, Executive Director, Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization; CEO, American Meat Science Association
- Suzi Rapp, Partner, The Kuzo Group LLC
- Dr. Jennifer Walker, Co-Founder and Chief Animal Welfare Officer - Kinder Ground
Wendy’s provides progress reports as it relates to animal welfare. Note that members are not compensated by Wendy’s and participate on a volunteer basis.