Brad Pitt Wants Costco To Stop Selling Eggs From Caged Hens; Here's Why [VIDEO]

Angelina Jolie Brad Pitt — Pictured: Pitt and wife Angelina Jolie arrive at the American Film Institute Awards in Beverly Hills, California on Jan. 9, 2015. Reuters/Kevork Djansezian

While his wife Angelina Jolie works for human rights with the United Nations, Brad Pitt is doing his bit to stop animal cruelty. The actor has written a moving letter urging American retail giant Costco to stop profiting from chickens caged for the production of eggs.

Pitt, joined by Ryan Gosling and Bill Maher, condemned the big box chain giant for selling eggs from hens stuffed in cages. All three celebrities demand that Costco ban the sale of eggs that are produced by cruelly mistreated animals.

“I join Ryan Gosling, Bill Maher, and countless others in urging Costco to sell exclusively cage-free eggs,” Pitt says in a letter to Craig Jelinek, Costco's CEO, Cage Free Future writes. The actor adds that the retailer had promised to stop the use of bird cages some 10 years ago but no action has been taken.

“In short, cramming hens into cages for their entire lives constitutes cruelty to animals, and animals deserve better,” Pitt writes. He goes on to cite examples of corporations like Burger King and Unilever that have eliminated the use of cages. The actor added that Whole Foods “hasn’t sold eggs from caged hens in years,” and wishes Costco to follow their example.

The “Fight Club” actor states that keeping the animals in cages is harmful for their muscles and bones and also results in their immobilization after few years. “That’s why the cages are illegal in most of Europe, and why California banned the cages by an overwhelming vote years ago,” he added. The actor signed off by politely asking Costco to “set a reasonable time frame to stop selling eggs from caged hens.”

The celebrities’ concern for caged hens arise from an undercover video investigation in June by the Humane Society of the United States. The video, which was secretly shot in Hillandale Farms in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, highlighted the terrible living conditions of caged hens. Hillandale Farms is an egg supplier for Costco. Check the video below.