Farrah Chaichi

Why we endorsed Farrah Chaichi for Oregon House District 35

Farrah Chaichi brings a genuine personal commitment to animal welfare into the legislature. She has spoken openly about feeling a deep connection to animals in need, whether it’s a pet, a stray, or wildlife trying to survive in its habitat, and she believes every animal deserves respect, safety, and a life free from harm or neglect.

What we appreciate about Farrah is that this isn’t a talking point for her. She’s shown up for her community on animal protection issues outside the legislature, including supporting efforts to strengthen local animal protection laws. She brings the same values she’s built her career on, standing up for people and causes that don’t have much power on their own, to the issue of animal welfare.

We’re proud to support Farrah Chaichi and welcome the chance to keep working with her to build a kinder Oregon for animals.

Questionnaire Responses

Background

Question: Can you briefly tell us a story that impacted the way you feel about animals?

Response: For as long as I can remember I’ve had an obnoxious amount of empathy and anthropomorphized inanimate objects, like teddy bears or technology that won’t work if you’re rude. That tendency has also applied to animals. One of the earlier memories I have about this is when a squirrel was getting in the crawl space of my parents home. (I think it was during high school?) Thankfully my dad used a humane trap that got the squirrel and kept it alive. But because the little guy knew how to get past the home defense forces he was a liability to have in the neighborhood, so Dad took him and let him out in Forest Park. Now, as an adult, I can see that having that expanse of wild terrain to be free in was probably actually way better than the greenbelt between a bunch of houses and teenage drivers. But at the time I was so sad for that little squirrel. He was taken potentially from his family (I have no idea the social patterns of squirrels), any of his hidden food was left behind in our neighborhood, and he was taken from everything he knew. Honestly it’s making me tear up just remembering it now. It is really difficult to see the impacts of humans on beings that do not understand what is happening. It is especially difficult as climate change leads to even more extreme weather events and these poor creatures don’t have air conditioning, or smartphones telling them to evacuate, or social safety nets if they lose their ability to feed themselves. My drive in office is to protect the vulnerable and animals are some of the most vulnerable who also deserve our consideration and protection.

Prohibiting the Sale of Force-Fed Foie Gras

Question: Foie gras is an especially cruel product because of its reliance on force-feeding ducks and geese. California has a statewide ban on the sale and production of foie gras, and several other U.S. cities have enacted sales bans. Would you support or sponsor a statewide ban on the sale of force-fed foie gras in Oregon?

Response: Yes, I would support and sponsor a bill banning force-fed foie gras.

Prohibiting the Sale of New Animal Fur

Question: Fur production relies on cruel practices, such as extreme confinement. California has a statewide ban on the sale of new fur products, and several U.S. cities have enacted sales bans.
Would you support or sponsor a statewide ban on the sale of new fur products in Oregon?

Response: I am in favor of ending the practice of mass breeding animals raised in extreme confinement for the purpose of selling fur, so I believe I could support a ban. But I would want to know some of the details of the ban before I can say I absolutely support it. Like is “new fur” the actual fur itself off a newly killed animal, or would that include recycled old items that is a new article of clothing? Would it be limited to mass production or would it include if people want to use every part of an animal they hunted (and how does this impact tribal practices, if at all)?

Pain Relief

Question: The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recommends using pain relief for common agricultural procedures such as castration, dehorning, and tail docking. Various studies show that the vast majority of Americans support requiring pain relief for these practices. Would you support or sponsor legislation requiring the use of pain relief during painful procedures performed on farmed animals in Oregon?

Response: I believe science and veterinarians are the ones I trust on the science of animal pain relief so I would likely support more pain relief for animals during painful procedures. I would want to have more details and understanding prior to signing on to a bill.

Sustainable Food Procurement

Question: Public institutions in Oregon subsidize animal-based foods regardless of their cruelty, environmental impact, or threat to public health. Would you support policies for public institutions in Oregon to prioritize climate-friendly food and limit high-confinement animal products, such as setting ambitious goals for plant-based procurement?

Response: Yes, I would support policies for public institutions in Oregon to lead by example and prioritize climate-friendly food and limit high-confinement animal products.

Factory Farm Moratorium

Question: The rapid expansion of large-scale industrial animal farms (CAFOs) is a leading source of nitrate pollution in Oregon’s groundwater and has coincided with a sharp decline in independent family farms. Would you support or sponsor a moratorium on the construction of new or expanded large-scale factory farms in Oregon?

Response: Hell yes, have done and will do again.

Sustainable Food Procurement

Question: Oregon law allows the use of rodenticides that are restricted or banned in states like California due to their documented harm to wildlife, pets, and children. Death by poisoning is widely considered to cause extreme suffering, often taking days. Would you support or sponsor legislation that minimizes death by poison, such as shifting state agencies toward fertility control instead of glue traps and rodenticides, or prohibiting the sale of glue traps and the most dangerous poisons?

Response: Ew, what? Yes I would support and sponsor legislation minimizing the use of poisons.