EGG AD DISPUTE SETTLED

The Animal Legal Defense Fund of Cotati last week announced a $200,000 settlement with Petaluma Farms over allegations of misleading advertising on egg cartons.

Without admitting wrongdoing, Petaluma Farms removed the disputed images and statements from the cartons and donated $44,000 to the Sonoma Humane Society, the Public Justice Foundation and Consumer Action. According to the settlement, the plaintiff, a Bay Area resident, received $1,000, and $155,000 was paid to the plaintiff's attorneys, including those for the defense fund.

Petaluma Farms owner Steve and Judy Mahrt told the Petaluma Argus-Courier in a statement that their eggs were advertised as cage-free rather than pasture-raised and their customers are intelligent enough to understand that the carton images were an artist's interpretation.

The defense fund noted that some of the funds were being used by the Humane Society to care for "rescued hens" culled from farm operations.