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Since the launch of Compassion’s End the Cage Age campaign, the world’s eyes have been opened to one of farming’s dirty secrets: the plight of an estimated 320 million rabbits reared for meat each year in cruel, cramped cages across Europe.
Thank you to everyone who has so far taken part in this campaign. Your support has mobilised over half a million European citizens to speak up for the quietest of farm animals. And an amazing 3,692 Farm Animal Voice readers collected a staggering 16,000 signatures through our postcard petition alone – so thank you!
Taking the leap
In February, we made the 2016 leap year the focus of our rabbit campaign on social media, with celebrities and artists – including the much-loved children’s book illustrator Anita Jeram – presenting hand-drawn pictures of rabbits along with the slogan: “I’ve taken the leap for rabbits. Will you?”. In an incredible show of support, our petition grew by 100,000 signatures in less than a month.
What next?
Because of you, rabbit factory farming is now well and truly in the public consciousness. When faced with the sheer horror of animal cruelty on this appalling scale – which, until now, has remained largely behind closed doors – people cannot help but feel disgusted.
This petition is just the first chapter in the campaign to End the Cage Age for Europe’s rabbits. We now need to maintain the pressure on Europe’s decision makers. We are using this huge public mandate to demand urgent new legislation that would set minimum welfare standards for rabbit farming. It simply cannot be lawful to treat so many animals in this way.
Thank you again for your support in helping to End the Cage Age. And don’t forget, you can take part in the campaign online by signing up for Compassion emails.
Farming's dirty secret
Imagine living your entire life in a cage that’s barely bigger than you. There’s no room to move about or stretch, no sunlight or fresh air – it’s just you, the bars that incarcerate you, a debilitating monotony and the stench of ammonia, from piles of waste mounting up on the factory floor below.
Rabbits are the second most farmed animal in Europe. Of those that are farmed, a staggering 99% are kept in cages, leaving them unable to stand upright with their ears up, dig or hide, hop, skip or jump, or perform any of their other natural behaviours.
Unbelievably, this is how an estimated 320 million rabbits are forced to live every year in Europe – in the name of progress and productivity. It’s a barbarity we’re campaigning to end.
