In 2001, Wendy’s established our 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 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.
Over the years, we have expanded our council to include experts from academia, animal agriculture, veterinary medicine and animal care to provide a diversity of perspectives. Our council helps us 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
- Bring in outside expertise and perspectives to enhance the Company and Council’s knowledge on emerging topics in the animal welfare field
- 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:
Advisor
| Affiliation(s)
| Areas of Focus & Expertise
|
|---|---|---|
John Butler | CEO, Beef Marketing Group | Beef production Feedlot operations Progressive BeefTM |
Dr. Karen Christensen | Sr. Director of Animal Welfare, Tyson Foods | Poultry welfare Poultry welfare research |
Dr. Kelly George | Executive Director, Zoological Association of America Partner, The Kuzo Group LLC (former Assistant Professor, Animal Science, Ohio State University) | Human-animal interactions Animal welfare Animal environments |
Pat Hord | CEO, Hord Family Farms Board of Directors, National Pork Producers Council | Swine production Livestock housing and stocking (swine, beef) |
Dr. Darrin Karcher | Associate Professor, Poultry Extension Specialist, Purdue University | Layer hen welfare Layer hen (egg) housing and enrichments Poultry management |
Collette Kaster | Executive Director, Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization CEO, American Meat Science Association | Welfare auditing frameworks and certifications Protein livestock welfare standards (beef, poultry, swine, dairy, egg) |
Suzi Rapp | Partner, The Kuzo Group LLC (former Vice President of Animal Programs, Columbus Zoo) | Human-animal interactions Animal environments Animal care |
Dr. Jennifer Walker | Co-founder and Chief Animal Welfare Officer - Kinder Ground (former Director of Dairy Stewardship, Dean Foods and Danone North America) | Veterinary medicine, large animal focus Dairy welfare |
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.