Ohio is not only where Mercy For Animals originated; it is also home to one of the largest, most influential restaurant chains in history: Wendy’s. The iconic chain is an undisputed leader in the worldwide restaurant industry.

But Wendy’s is no leader among the growing number of companies rejecting cruel battery cages for egg-laying hens.

On today’s factory farms, more than 90 percent of hens used for eggs are crammed into wire cages so small the birds can’t walk, spread their wings, or engage in other simple natural behaviors.

Because the space is so cramped, many birds become trapped and painfully mangled in the cage wire or under the feed trays. Without assistance, they sadly suffer and die. Dead hens are forgotten and left to rot alongside birds still laying eggs for human consumption.

Birds who survive endure bloody open wounds, eye infections, tumors, and uterine prolapses. These ailing hens languish without proper veterinary care. Deprived of any comfort, these intelligent, sensitive animals are treated as mere egg-producing machines.

Wendy’s competitors, including McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, and Panera Bread, have already announced timelines for transitioning to completely cage-free egg supply chains. Foodservice giants Aramark, Sodexo, and Compass Group have done the same, and several states have outlawed battery cages. Even Ohio, the nation's second-largest egg-producing state, has stopped construction of new caged egg-production facilities.

It’s high time Wendy’s listened to its consumers and competitors. Please sign this petition asking Wendy’s to stop cramming birds into cruel cages and to set a firm deadline for going cage-free.

The animals need your voice!