Rabbit battery farming could return to the UK for the first time in 15 years. Find out more here and sign our petition...
Rabbit battery farming could return to the UK for the first time in 15 years. This cruel practice sees rabbits kept in small wire cages in windowless sheds with no opportunity for natural behaviour such as digging, foraging, running and hiding. We are moving away from battery farming for other animals - why reintroduce it now for rabbits?
This move would also undermine decades of work to improve pet rabbit welfare, still the most neglected pet in Britain. Shockingly, many pet rabbits live in hutches smaller than those laid out by law for rabbit battery farms. The struggle to improve pet rabbit welfare continues and the reintroduction of rabbit battery farming would be a major blow.
UPDATE - 6 MAY 2011: In an interview with Farming Today on BBC Radio 4, Philip Kerry confirmed that due to public pressure he is withdrawing all the applications currently lodged by T&S Nurseries for caged rabbit farms and is consulting with rabbit welfare specialists about the possibility of free range farms. We would like to thank Mr Kerry for acknowledging the public's concerns and sincerely hope the new plans will give the rabbits an acceptable standard of welfare.
The petition closed in November 2011 with over 10,000 signatures - thank you to everyone who supported this and struck a blow for rabbit welfare.
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