Church Raising Emus for Slaughter

The Rev. Michie Proctor of the First Baptist Church of Southwest Broward in Hollywood, Florida told the press in September that his church is raising 250 emus to be shipped to poor families in the Caribbean and Central America. However, the church is having trouble feeding the emus and hopes for divine intervention to pick up "a food tab of $1,000 a week."

The church admits that the emus are sweet, exuberant birds with a "penchant for spontaneous gaiety" that includes dancing.

United Poultry Concerns received calls from local people requesting help for the emus. They appeared ill-fed and unwell. Rev. Proctor told UPC that the emus arrived there in bad condition. Yet more shipping and other horrors await these unhappy birds if the church carries out its plan.

What Can I Do?

• Please urge Rev. Proctor in your own polite words to provide permanent sanctuary to the emus who have come under the church's care and to find compassionate and more efficient ways to help poor families in other countries. As a published letter stated, "According to the article, an adult emu is fed 2 pounds of wheat-corn mixture a day. This grain could be consumed directly by humans or planted and cultivated to feed many people. The church is undermining its good intentions and doing a disservice to low-income families in Belize by wasting resources and encouraging the slaughter of animals." Contact: Dr. Michie Proctor, First Baptist Church of Southwest Broward, 9741 Berechah Drive, Hollywood, FL 33024.