Partnership with Vacaville sanctuary will help “spent hens” spread their wings in new homes
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sacramento, CA (August 23, 2005) – United Animal Nations (UAN), North America’s leading provider of emergency animal sheltering and disaster relief services, on Friday pulled more than 400 “spent hens” from an abandoned factory egg farm, just days before they were to be slaughtered.
UAN is now working with Animal Place, a Vacaville sanctuary for farmed animals, to help find adoptive homes for the birds, who spent the last 18 months packed in wire cages and living in filthy, deplorable conditions. Their beaks had been cut off so they could not peck each other, and many of them were featherless, injured and ill.
Because of public interest in adopting the rescued chickens, Animal Place was able to rescue nearly 2,000 of the 160,000 hens housed at the facility. UAN is mobilizing volunteers with its Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) to return phone calls from interested adopters and conduct telephone interviews.
“What we found was truly a disaster. The conditions at factory farms are horrific, the hens’ well-being sacrificed in the name of more eggs and higher profits,” said Jennifer Fearing, president & CEO of UAN, who participated in the rescue mission. “We applaud Animal Place for leading this rescue effort and we are thrilled that, through the Emergency Animal Rescue Service, we can provide valuable assistance to make sure these hens are never caged and exploited again.”
Animal Place had arranged to rescue as many hens as possible before they were sent to slaughter. On Friday, three UAN staff members traveled to Gilroy and removed more than 400 hens from the tiny battery cages where they had spent their entire lives. They found six to nine hens crammed together in each cage and living amid feces, dust and cobwebs. After the three-hour rescue mission, UAN staff brought the hens to Animal Place, where they began enjoying their newfound freedom.
“Animal Place is grateful to have UAN joining in the effort to save hundreds more birds,” stated Kim Sturla, Animal Place Executive Director. “And, with the help of the EARS volunteers I am confident permanent loving homes will be found for these birds who have only known immense suffering.”
Individuals interested in adopting hens should call (916) 429-2457 for more information.
Founded in 1987, United Animal Nations (UAN) is the nation’s leading provider of emergency animal sheltering and disaster relief services and a key advocate for the critical needs of animals.
Photos available upon request.
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