According to the organization "Invisible Animals," this was the largest animal rescue operation to date in Estonia. Its main goal is to support an amendment to the Animal Protection Act that will end battery farming of hens in the country. An amendment to the Animal Protection Act is currently under consideration by the Riigikogu (the parliament of Estonia), which will end battery farming of laying hens in Estonia by 2035. The bill provides for a sufficiently long transition period that will allow producers to plan investments and switch to new poultry housing systems. Signe, who took in ten rescued hens from the farm on Saturday, said she made the decision as soon as she heard about the operation. "A hen is not just a means of producing eggs, but a living being that should have the ability to move and behave naturally. I am glad that I can give this opportunity to ten hens, but to protect the rest of the birds, battery farming must be banned by law," said Signe. Kristina Mering, the executive director of "Invisible Animals," noted that the ban on the use of cages for hens is the issue in animal protection that has always resonated the most with the people of Estonia. "Tens of thousands of people have signed a petition addressed to the government, nearly 10,000 letters have been sent to politicians, and hundreds of people have taken to the streets demanding a ban on battery farming of hens," Mering said. "The birds rescued on Saturday from the farm are now free thanks to kind people, but it is truly time to finally ban battery farming of hens in Estonia," Mering said. "It is impossible to remove hundreds of thousands of hens from farms one by one; a law is needed for their protection. I urge people to write to members of the Riigikogu, especially to representatives of the Reform Party, asking them to support the ban on battery farming and vote for the amendment to the Animal Protection Act." According to the organization "Invisible Animals," on Saturday, a record number of exhausted hens were rescued from one of the largest battery farms in Estonia, thanks to hundreds of people who financed the operation, provided new homes for the birds, and helped with transportation and organization. "Invisible Animals" (Nähtamatud Loomad) is an Estonian animal rights organization founded in 2017. Its goal is to improve the living conditions of farm animals and reduce their suffering in industrial animal husbandry. The organization conducts public campaigns, promotes legislative initiatives, collaborates with businesses, engages in educational activities, and researches the situation in animal husbandry.
