11/02/2026
Dr. Karen Oberthaler treats cancer in animals every day. She’s also a YES on 311 and this is why:
Foie gras is made by force-feeding ducks and geese until their livers swell to about ten times their healthy size. The result is hepatic lipidosis. Dr. Oberthaler treats it in her clinic, and she knows it’s life-threatening, because she’s watched what organ failure does to an animal’s mobility, appetite, and last weeks of life.
Factory farms induce that same disease on purpose in 40 million ducks and geese every year.
Initiated Ordinance 311 is a narrow ballot measure that would end the sale of force-fed foie gras in Denver. More than twenty countries and a growing list of U.S. cities have already acted, and recent polling shows most Colorado voters agree. Colorado already bans selling eggs from battery cages and dogs from puppy mills. Foie gras is next.
Written by Dr. Karen Oberthaler, VMD, DACVIM, board-certified veterinary oncologist and co-founder of Treeline Veterinary Cancer Care.
