Activism & Animals Active Updated Sep 16, 2026
The Costco chicken supplier accountability fight
Where it stands, Sep 16, 2026 Mercy For Animals filed a criminal complaint with Lee County, North Carolina law enforcement and the USDA after an undercover investigation documented workers beating chickens with sticks and burying live chicks under compost at an organic farm supplying Costco.
Mercy For Animals filed a criminal complaint with Lee County, North Carolina authorities and the USDA after undercover footage showed workers beating chickens and burying live chicks at an organic farm supplying Costco. It is the second documented case of abuse Mercy For Animals has tied to Costco's chicken supply chain in five years, after a 2021 investigation and Costco's promised reforms. The fight is whether Costco enforces real accountability this time or the pattern repeats.
The story so far
-
Sep 16, 2026 Latest
Mercy For Animals filed a criminal complaint with Lee County, North Carolina law enforcement and the USDA after an undercover investigation documented workers beating chickens with sticks and burying live chicks under compost at an organic farm supplying Costco. It is the second time in five years the group has tied documented abuse to Costco's chicken supply chain, following a 2021 investigation and Costco's promised reforms.
Get the next update to this storyline by email.
When this fight moves, the new beat lands on this timeline and in the morning brief the same day. Follow it free, and you will know before the feeds do.
Free, every morning. Unsubscribe in one click.