Rescue Activist Might Find Himself in a Cage
NEW ZEALAND - Open Rescue Collective activist Mark Eden is appearing in the Levin District Court at 10am today over burglary charges relating to the theft of 20 battery hens from Turk's Poultry, an intensive egg farm in Foxton owned by Ron Turk.
18 January 2008
2 minute read
* "If the government was serious about animal welfare they would be inspecting farms and enforcing the laws themselves, instead of leaving it to volunteer groups like us" |
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Mr. Eden, Open Rescue activist.
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Mr. Eden is pleading not guilty to the theft of the hens from the intensive egg farm, as he believes that the hens were rescued from indecent conditions.
'Every time we visit factory farms we find evidence of illegal animal cruelty. If the government was serious about animal welfare they would be inspecting farms and enforcing the laws themselves, instead of leaving it to volunteer groups like us‘ says Mr. Eden.
Another Open Rescue activist, Deirdre Sims, agrees, 'It is appalling that Mark Eden has been charged with burglary for rescuing animals in need. Animals are seen as property in the eyes of the law, so they are used and abused as property - they have no legal rights. I applaud the initiative of Mr. Eden for going to the rescue of those hens'.
Mr. Eden says, 'I don't believe I should be in court for rescuing animals in need, but I'm looking forward to asking Ron Turk why he thinks himself and other factory farmers should be exempt from the Animal Welfare Act'.
