COK's Press Release

For Immediate Release: June 26, 2002
Contact: 301-891-2458

Investigation Finds Cruelty the Norm in Egg Industry
Advocates Document Severe Abuses at Maryland Egg Farm and Rescue Sick and Injured Hens

Washington, D.C.—Animal protection organization Compassion Over Killing (COK) is today unveiling the results of its latest undercover investigation into the cruel treatment of egg-laying hens.

COK investigated County Fair Farms (CFF) in Westminster, Md., from April through May 2002, and uncovered unimaginably cruel conditions for the hundreds of thousands of hens at the factory farm, all of whom live in "battery cages" (long rows of wire cages holding an average of eight birds per cage).

Photos and broadcast-quality footage are available to media outlets upon request. Details of the investigation and rescue are online at www.cok.net.

COK's investigators documented in videos and photographs numerous acts of animal cruelty at CFF, including:

• Immobilized hens with no access to food or water.
• Hens living in overcrowded cages with the decomposing corpses of deceased hens.
• Sick and injured hens suffering without veterinary care.

According to COK president Miyun Park, "If the conditions endured by egg-laying hens were forced upon dogs or cats, they would be illegal. It's time that we take a stand against such abuse and stop buying eggs."

Similar investigations at major egg farms in Minnesota and Ohio have uncovered the same conditions. In fact, the movement against battery cages is growing every day. Battery cages are being phased out in the European Union, and several U.S. fast-food chains—including McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's—have recently mandated their egg suppliers to give battery hens more space.

COK conducted a groundbreaking investigation last year at another Maryland factory egg farm, ISE-America, during which the authorities were unresponsive to COK's requests for prosecution for state animal cruelty statute violations. As such, the investigators rescued eight hens in dire need of immediate veterinary care.

On May 23, 2002, the one-year anniversary of last year's rescue, COK investigators rescued ten sick and injured hens from CFF, provided them with veterinary care, and placed in them in safe, permanent homes.

Compassion Over Killing is a Washington, D.C.-based animal protection organization. COK's main function lies in conducting investigations, organizing public demonstrations and other educational activities, and actively working to bring about a kinder world for all of us, both human and nonhuman.

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