LONDON, June 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Humane League's #McGhoster campaign is acting as a wake-up call to the fast-food industry leader McDonald's, with more than 21,000 signatures already on the petition.

Thousands of conscious consumers across the US and the UK have taken to Twitter to grab the attention of McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook. Sending ghost emojis and using #McGhoster, the public are calling out McDonald's for not signing the Better Chicken Commitment, and criticising them for 'ghosting' their animal welfare responsibilities, unlike their competitors.

Public protests, billboards, and ad vans have been popping up across the UK to further spread the word and build as much pressure as possible (images can be found HERE); followed by an online brand-jacking film that's racked up over 700,000 views already (on Facebook and YouTube).

McDonald's is one of the biggest restaurant chains in the world with a net income of $5.877B. Yet, as companies like Pret A Manger are making concrete, meaningful changes to chicken welfare, McDonald's is lagging behind; despite previously facing criticism for the treatment of its chickens. What's more, The Humane League argues that eating poor chickens raised in cramped and confined factory farms have potential health risks for the public.

"Although McDonald's has taken progressive steps on some animal welfare issues, the truth is that when the suffering of millions upon millions of chickens—the most numerous animals in McDonald's supply chain—is at stake, McDonald's fails to live up to the upstanding image it portrays," said Pru Elliott, Head of Campaigns at The Humane League UK.

The Humane League is calling on McDonald's consumers and the wider public to demand improvements to its supply chain, and appreciates any support people are able to give to shine a light on their bad practice.

You can sign the petition at www.mcghoster.com and find more information [HERE].

Notes to Editors:

-  The Humane League is an international nonprofit ending the abuse of animals raised for food by influencing the policies of the world's biggest companies, demanding legislation, and empowering others to take action and leave animals off their plates.

-  Since its founding in 2005, the charity has focused on effectively ending the worst animal abuses in factory farming, while empowering people to leave animals off their plates.

SOURCE The Humane League