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From Daily Show to Daily Sows: Jon Stewart and Wife Open Farm Sanctuary

© AP Photo / Carolyn KasterJon Stewart during a taping of "The Daily Show with John Stewart", in New York.
Jon Stewart during a taping of The Daily Show with John Stewart, in New York. - Sputnik International
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As if anyone needed more reasons to love Jon Stewart, the comedian and his wife Tracey Stewart have bought a large farm to turn into a sanctuary for animals, with the intentions of boosting the cause of animal rights.

Their farm, located in New Jersey, is set to become the fourth shelter for the nation’s largest farm rescue and protection organization, Farm Sanctuary.

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"We bought a farm in New Jersey with the intention of starting a farm sanctuary of our own with an educational center," Tracey announced at a 100%-vegan gala for the organization on Saturday evening, "but what I'm announcing tonight is that our farm is actually going to be the New Jersey branch of Farm Sanctuary. We're going to build new advocates, new curious learners, and new leaders for this very important movement."

Jon Stewart, who spent 16-years making politics accessible and hilarious on The Daily Show also spoke at the event.

"I'm a little uncomfortable," he announced. "I've spent the last 20 years immersed in the world of Washington politics and the media landscape, so I don't know how to deal necessarily with people who have empathy."

The organization currently has three other sanctuaries, two in California and one in upstate New York, where they rescue, rehabilitate, and care for rescued animals.

A large portion of their rescues come from factory farms and slaughterhouses.

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“Animals in today’s industrialized farms are treated like commodities. They are crowded into warehouses, confined so tightly that they cannot easily walk or even turn around. They are de-beaked, de-toed, and their tails are docked without anesthetic. Their bones break because their bodies have been manipulated to grow so fast that they can’t support their own weight,” Farm Sanctuary explains on their website. 

“Factory farm animals are denied fresh air, sun, wholesome food, room to move, and the freedom to exhibit their natural behaviors. This rampant abuse of millions of animals every day is largely invisible to the public.”

Beyond rescuing animals, the organization works to promote a vegan lifestyle and end animal cruelty through comprehensive education, reform, and advocacy efforts.

“We advocate for laws and policies to prevent suffering and promote compassion, and we reach out to legislators and businesses to bring about institutional reforms,” the non-profit organization states on their website.

The president and co-founder of the organization, Gene Baur, appeared on The Daily Show earlier this year to promote his book, Living the Farm Sanctuary Life: The Ultimate Guide to Eating Mindfully, Living Longer and Feeling Better Every Day.

 

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