Willy Chotzen

Questionnaire Responses

Background

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

Response: People are often disconnected from the natural world, but this is not inherent; it is taught. As I raise my three- and five-year-old kids, I have a new appreciation of our interconnectedness because their natural curiosity and wonder deepens my own. I have loved every moment I get to teach them about our interconnectedness with animals and nature because each of our choices–whether it’s the food we eat or the transportation we take–impacts the health of our environment and the health of our animals. I love nurturing my children’s connections to nature, rather than neglecting it, because our life would not be the same without every animal, and the health of our world depends on our appreciation for them.

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: I would support this if this came before me for a vote.

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 would like to learn more about this, and I expect I would vote to align our policy with California.

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: This sounds like legislation I would be interested in supporting.

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: Many of the environmental and health impacts of the food we consume are not taken into account, and I would support policies that better incentivize supporting the environment and public health. These sound like policies I could support, and I would be interested in learning more about effective ways to present this information to consumers so they can make more informed decisions.

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: Yes. I would support this.

The Use of Dangerous Poisons

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: Moving in this direction sounds like a good idea, and I would like to learn more.