ANIMAL EQUALITY ITALY: Investigation shows the suffering of caged sows in Italy
Trapped between bars, their piglets will become Italian pork delicacies such as Parma Ham. Animal Equality calls on people across Europe to seize the last opportunity to sign the European Citizens’ Initiative ‘End of Cage Age’.
Animal Equality’s footage leaves little room for doubt: hundreds of sows forced to live in cages that completely enclose their bodies, in unhygienic conditions, surrounded by insects, rats and the bodies of dead piglets.
In Italy, more than 500,000 sows live half their lives in metal cages that prevent even the slightest movement. In such a tight space all they can do is stand or lie down, but not walk or turn around. This makes taking proper care of their own piglets impossible.
Animal Equality calls on people across Europe to seize the last opportunity to sign the European Citizens’ Initiative ‘End of Cage Age’ to end this mistreatment by calling on the European Commission to phase out cages across all Europe. Over 1.5 million people have already signed this petition that closes at midnight today, 11 September.
“These are very serious conditions that also show the extreme consequences of the use of cages from the point of view of hygiene and public health”, explains Animal Equality Italy. “Furthermore, this system could easily be phased out, as shown by those countries where cages for sows are uncommon or countries such as Sweden, where they have been banned completely, or the United Kingdom, which has abolished gestation crates.”
Sign to End The Cage Age before midnight CET on 11 September 2019