Thousands Join PETA in Opposing County Down Chicken Prison

For Immediate Release:

23 November 2018

Contact:

Jennifer White +44 (0) 20 7837 6327, ext 222; [email protected]

THOUSANDS JOIN PETA IN OPPOSING COUNTY DOWN CHICKEN PRISON

Over 12,000 Compassionate People Agree: Authorities Should Stand With the Public and Block Farm Proposal

Saintfield – A proposal has been submitted for a new egg farm to be built in Saintfield that would condemn 32,000 gentle birds at a time to a life of misery and in response, PETA has sent a petition with over 12,000 signatures from local residents and other concerned members of the public urging Newry, Mourne and Down District Council to reject the plan. The facility’s developers claim it’ll be “free-range”, but previous PETA exposés of UK farms have shown that such labels, while making consumers feel better about purchasing eggs, don’t prevent chickens from suffering.

In the petition, PETA points out that, in addition to causing cruelty to animals on a massive scale, a farm of this kind would likely have many negative effects on the local area, including increased traffic from heavy goods vehicles, the erection of buildings on the site – which would likely compromise the character of the landscape – and the generation of enormous quantities of manure and environmental pollutants such as ammonia.

“Thousands of compassionate people have spoken, and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council should heed their concerns for animal welfare, the environment, and the health of the community,” says PETA Director Elisa Allen. “PETA is calling for this plan to be scrapped, sparing thousands of birds a lifetime of suffering and an agonising death.”

PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat” – notes that chickens are curious, active animals who, in nature, spend their time foraging, exploring, and taking dust baths. But on farms, even so-called “free-range” or “organic” ones, they’re often prevented from engaging in these natural forms of behaviour. And when their worn-out bodies can no longer produce enough eggs to be profitable, they’re sent to slaughter, typically to be turned into “low-grade” meat.

PETA further notes that diets heavy in cholesterol and saturated fat, both of which are found in meat and eggs, can increase a person’s risk of falling victim to many of the UK’s top killers, including heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk.

#