Wellington Animal Action
Press release
Friday May 26th 2000.

Protest at battery farmer's front door.

Animal rights campaigners will be waving banners outside the front door of a battery hen factory farmer at noon on Saturday.

Golden Gate Poultry farm, owned by Eric and Denise Bennik, is the largest battery hen farm in the Wellington area, with 30,000 hens. The farm is on Pauahatanui Road (near Mulherns Road corner) between Porirua and the Hutt Valley. The protest is the part of a new campaign by animal rights activists to take their protests right to the front doors of factory farmers.

A spokesperson from Wellington Animal Action says the government has failed to protect hens from cruelty.

Sandra Bone says "Most people want battery cages banned but the egg industry continues to cram chickens into cages so small the hens can hardly move. Between three and five hens are crammed into each cage. They suffer feather loss and skin damage due to the constant rubbing against the other hens and their feet are damaged by the wire floor".

"We are going to be out there at the front gate telling their customers to go away. If you buy eggs from Golden Gate Poultry farm, you are supporting cruelty. Nearly 30,000 chickens suffer in battery cages on the property. Once locals know that the Bennik family make their living from torturing animals, there is no excuse for buying eggs from them".

Activists intend to protest at every battery egg farm in the area over the coming months.

"Ultimately we want to put factory farmers out of business. The vast majority of New Zealanders want battery cages banned, but the government has done nothing about it. It's up to us to close down factory farming ourselves" says Ms Bone.

Wellington Animal Action: Phone 04 385-6728 Golden Gate Poultry farm: Phone 04 235 7673

-- PO Box 6387, Te Aro, Wellington, Aotearoa (New Zealand) Phone 0064 04 385-6728

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