Springer Mountain Farms president honored by American Humane Association
American Humane Association, the first national humane organization and the world's largest farm animal welfare certification program, will present its prestigious National Humanitarian Medal to Gus Arrendale of Springer Mountain Farms at this week's American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards. The only charity dedicated to the protection of both America's children and animals awards the National Humanitarian Medal to visionary leaders whose actions reflect the essential values of compassion, caring and hope.
Recently, the organization announced that it now oversees the humane treatment of nearly 1 billion farm animals through its American Humane Certified program, representing 10 percent of all livestock raised for food production each year in the United States. Arrendale has been with the program since the very beginning as a visionary leader in the humane movement, bringing the progressive farm animal welfare program to his family's operations. In 2001, Arrendale led Georgia-based Springer Mountain Farms to become the first poultry producer to bear the American Humane Certified seal of approval. Since then, he has been key in educating his fellow producers – as well as retailers and consumers – about the benefits of third-party animal welfare audits and humane certification.