In February, an important court case will begin in the United Kingdom concerning the catching of chickens by their legs. The Animal Law Foundation is taking legal action against the UK government’s decision to allow this catching method again. Catching poultry by the legs is currently prohibited, but in practice is still widely used. Instead of enforcing the existing law, the government now intends to weaken it. This would once again permit a practice that causes significant stress and pain to chickens.
At Eyes on Animals, we strongly support this legal challenge. Through inspections, documentation and training in several countries, we have helped bring the rough catching of chickens into the open and introduced a more humane alternative: upright catching. This method is now being successfully applied by multiple companies internationally.
It is encouraging to see that the way chickens are caught is now also receiving serious attention in the United Kingdom, and that the government’s decision is being challenged in court.
We wish The Animal Law Foundation every success in this important case.
