CHRISTMAS WISH FOR BATTERY HENS

Just before Christmas some fortunate battery hens in New Zealand received immediate relief from cruelty and severe confinement thanks to the efforts of members of the New Zealand Open Rescue Collective. The group's members, coined Santa's little helpers, rescued 15 emaciated caged birds from an Auckland egg factory and urged consumers to boycott caged eggs for 2008.

"Our wish for Christmas is that New Zealanders stop buying factory farmed eggs and that they no longer support caged cruelty," said Open Rescue spokesperson Deirdre Sims.

The group released a Christmas DVD appealing to New Zealanders to boycott battery eggs in 2008. Copies of the DVD were handed out by the group to shoppers outside an Auckland supermarket. The event resulted in brilliant news items on Prime and TV One.

The message within the DVD stated: "Christmas is a time of giving and for some New Zealanders it's a time of giving hope and freedom to animals. For all the battery hens that we have rescued this year, it will be a Merry Christmas."

View the Prime News story

11 January 2008