Thousands Join PETA in Opposing Pembrokeshire Chicken Prison

For Immediate Release:

27 February 2019

Contact:

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

THOUSANDS JOIN PETA IN OPPOSING PEMBROKESHIRE CHICKEN PRISON

Nearly 25,000 Compassionate People Agree: Authorities Should Stand With the Public and Block Farm Proposal

Pembrokeshire, Wales – A proposal has been submitted for the expansion of a “free-range” egg farm in Pembrokeshire that would condemn an additional 32,000 gentle birds at a time – on top of the 32,000 already imprisoned there – to a life of misery and inevitable slaughter. In response, PETA has sent a petition with nearly 25,000 signatures from local residents and other concerned members of the public urging Pembrokeshire County Council to reject the plan. The applicant claims the expanded facility would 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, an expansion of this kind would likely have many negative effects on the local area, including the erection of buildings on the site – which would likely compromise the character of the landscape – increased traffic from heavy goods vehicles, and the generation of enormous quantities of manure and environmental pollutants such as ammonia.

“Thousands of compassionate people have spoken, and Pembrokeshire County 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 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.

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