End Cruelty Disguised As Delicacy — Ban Restaurants From Serving Live Animals
Final signature count: 1,535
1,535 signatures toward our 30,000 goal
Sponsor: Free The Ocean
New York must end the barbaric practice of serving live animals before more intelligent beings are mutilated in the name of taste.
In Queens, New York, diners sit down to a meal that shocks the conscience. At Sik Gaek, a popular restaurant, octopuses are cut apart while still alive and brought to the table with their limbs writhing on the plate1. Customers describe the sensation of tentacles clinging to their mouths as they chew. Staff dismiss this as reflex, but animal welfare experts argue the movement shows the animal was dismembered while alive2.
What is presented as a delicacy is, in fact, cruelty unfolding in plain sight. New York law has no ban on the practice, leaving intelligent, sentient animals to endure excruciating deaths in front of paying customers2.
Sentient Beings Reduced to Spectacle
Octopuses are among the most intelligent animals in the ocean. They use tools, remember experiences, solve complex problems, and even play games3. Scientists confirm they possess nervous systems capable of perceiving pain in ways similar to mammals4. Yet in certain kitchens, these extraordinary beings are treated as props for entertainment, hacked apart piece by piece while still aware of their suffering5.
The same cruelty extends to lobsters and shrimp, which are torn apart or boiled alive for “freshness.” Diners often laugh as the animals struggle on the plate, unaware—or indifferent—that the display comes at the cost of unbearable suffering5.
Compassion Must Guide Food Policy
New York prides itself on progressive values and innovative food policy. Yet this gap in regulation allows acts of violence against animals to masquerade as cultural tradition or culinary experience. The truth is simple: no taste justifies this level of cruelty. Freshness can be achieved without inflicting suffering on living creatures.
Activists and scientists alike are clear: serving live animals is a practice that belongs in the past. Other cities and countries have moved to restrict or ban such treatment. New York has the chance to lead by closing the loophole and making compassion a standard in its restaurants.
Act Now for a More Humane Future
Every day this continues, more animals endure agony under the guise of entertainment. It is time for New York City to act. By banning the serving of live animals in restaurants, city leaders can align policy with science, compassion, and public expectation. This change would not only protect animals but also affirm New York’s standing as a place where humanity guides progress.
Join us in calling on the New York City Department of Health and the Mayor’s Office of Food Policy to ban this cruel practice once and for all. Sign the petition today.
