Vancouver is First Cage-Free Olympic City
Posted by Peter Endisch on July 27th, 2007 at 09:06 PDT (Animal Welfare, News)
Here’s a reprint I got from the Vancouver humane Society:
Media Release
For Immediate Release
July 26, 2007
Vancouver is First Cage-Free Olympic City
Vancouver city council passes resolution requesting removal of eggs from
caged hens from city food services
(Vancouver) This afternoon, the mayor and council of the City of
Vancouver, the host of the 2010 Olympics, voted to become the first host
city in the world to recommend the removal of eggs from caged hens from
all city-run facilities. Council also recommended residents, including
restaurants, caterers, retailers and wholesalers, choose certified
organic free-range eggs. The move follows a similar decision by the
neighbouring City of Richmond earlier this year.
“Council’s decision to recommend the removal of eggs produced by one
of the cruellest production methods in modern agriculture clearly
demonstrates that Vancouver is a city that cares about animals,” says
Debra Probert, the executive director of the Vancouver Humane Society
(VHS).
Approximately 98 percent of Canada’s 26 million egg-laying hens are
raised in small wire cages where they can barely move and are unable to
flap their wings, dust-bathe, nest or perch. Countries such as Sweden,
Switzerland and the Netherlands have banned the use of battery cages,
and the entire European Union will follow suit in 2012. Over 150
universities and colleges in North America have removed or reduced eggs
from caged hens from campus food services. In BC, Langara College, BC
Institute of Technology and Crofton House School have dropped eggs from
caged hens, and UBC and SFU are set to follow suit sometime this year.
“It’s about making more humane decisions,” says Probert. “And dropping
eggs from caged hens from your shopping list is a really easy way to
take action for animals.”
Certified organic & BC SPCA certified eggs have the highest welfare
standards, but free-range and free-run eggs also come from cage-free hens.
Photos and video footage of Canadian battery and free-range egg farms
are available at www.chickenout.ca or by request
