Wednesday 16 December 2009

A complaint of animal neglect has been lodged with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry against Henry Poultry who operate a slaughterhouse in Levin. While on site filming activists found discovered two battery hens had been left in a onsite over the weekend without food and water.

This is not the first time the slaughterhouse has been under fire; earlier this year Graham Jospeh Henry, owner and operator of Henry Poultry, was fined more than $16,000 for operating his slaughterhouse without the necessary risk management program.

While filming at the slaughterhouse Animal Liberation Aotearoa member Jasmine Gray was arrested by Police and charged with being unlawfully in an enclosed yard.

‘The egg industry is hiding animal abuse behind the closed doors of their factory farms and slaughterhouses. Taking action to document what really happens in these facilities is the only way the public can learn about the plight of layer hens' says Ms Gray.

She continues ‘Layer hens are treated as commodities who do not have any interests, feelings and desires of their own. After spending her life confined to a small cage where she cannot even flap her wings, a layer hen is sent to slaughter after just 18 months. She will be shackled by her legs, dragged through an electrical current and have her throat slit.'

Following the arrest Police illegally searched Ms Gray's car and confiscated some items from her car.

‘While I understand that the Police may have felt the need to arrest me it does not justify them searching my car without a warrant. Only charges carrying a possible sentence of six months or more in jail allow for a vehicle to be searched without a warrant My charge has a possible jail term of three months as such my car should not have been subject to a search' says Ms Gray.

Ms Gray will appear in the Levin District Court on Thursday 17 December at 9am.

For further comment and information Jasmine Gray is contactable on 0272013858.

For hi res images please visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/45650247@N08/sets/72157622880522075/

ENDS

Notes

1. Copy of M.A.F. Complaint

Breach of Animal Welfare Act - Complaint

On Saturday 12th December 2009 I entered the property at 3 Hamaria Road, Levin with the purpose of filming.

This site is a licensed layer hen slaughterhouse.

On the site I found two layer hens in a metal crate which I believe is used for transportation from layer hen farms to the slaughterhouse. Their crate was stacked on top of several others however none of the other crates had any hens in them.

The two layer hens did not have any food or water and as far as I am aware the slaughterhouse operates Monday to Friday and not on the weekends. As such I believe that there was no one caring for the hens physical needs during this time. I believe this to be a breach of the Section 10 of the Animal Welfare Act which states ‘the owner of an animal, very person in charge of an animal, must ensure that the physical, health and behavioural needs of the animal are met in a manner that is in accordance with both - (a) good practice; and (b) scientific knowledge.'

This is a link to images that I took at the aforementioned address on Saturday 12th December.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45650247@N08/4186782009/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45650247@N08/4187541666/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45650247@N08/4186778421/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45650247@N08/4186770959/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45650247@N08/sets/72157622880522075/

I would like to be kept informed about the results of any investigation into this matter.

Kind Regards

Jasmine Gray

2. New Zealand Food Safety Authority media release relating to Henry Poultry fines under the Animal Products Act

http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz/publications/media-releases/2009/2009-2-11-risky-operator-caught-out.htm

ENDS