Only three proposals about animal welfare issues have surfaced so far in 2020 and it is not clear any will go to a vote. Harrington Investments wants TJX to “commission an independent analysis of any material risks of continuing operations without a company-wide animal welfare policy or restrictions on animal-sourced products associated with animal cruelty.” It says the report “should assess the operational, reputational and financial implications of the company’s vendor policies pertaining to oversight on animal welfare throughout the supply chain.” The company is arguing at the SEC that it concerns ordinary business given its focus on fur, a specific type of product, an argument that has succeeded at other companies in the past.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has two resolutions but already has withdrawn one at its longtime foe, SeaWorld Entertainment, which asked the company “to address the most pressing issue that Sea World faces today—the public’s continued opposition to captive-animal displays—the shareholders urge the board to stop allowing trainers to stand on dolphins’ faces and ride on their backs in exploitative and potentially harmful circus-style shows.” The company lodged a multi- pronged challenge at the SEC and the withdrawal came before any commission response, although the company also clarified in a letter to PETA that it plans to end the use of dolphins to which it objected. PETA has proposed several other resolutions about the company’s use of marine mammals in the past and most have been omitted on ordinary business grounds.
One remains pending at Marriott International but also appears to be vulnerable to an ordinary business challenge. It encourages the company “to prohibit wild-animal displays at all its hotels because such exhibits are cruel, promote an abusive industry, and pose a safety risk to the public.” Marriott contends it is too detailed and not significantly related to its business.
