'Wegmans Cruelty'

Most meat-eaters know why many people become vegetarian: so as not to cause the death of an animal.

But most are clueless about veganism. Milk isn't a dead cow, after all. (But the murder of animals is inherent in the industry.) And what's wrong with eating eggs?

"Wegmans Cruelty," a half-hour documentary by Compassionate Consumers, shows viewers exactly what's wrong with eating eggs.

In 2004 several activists from the Rochester, NY-based Compassionate Consumers investigated the facility where Wegmans, a much-loved grocery store chain in the Northeast, bred egg-laying hens. Wegmans sold the eggs in cartons labeled "Animal Care Certified," a worthless "certification" created by United Egg Producers.

The investigators found hundreds of thousands of hens living in battery cages. With several hens to a cage, they didn't have the ability to stretch their wings. They stepped on each other, their feet became sore as they negotiated the wire caging, and feces were dropped on them from the chickens in the cages above them. The activists also found chickens living with decomposing corpses of their former cagemates.

In addition, they discovered chickens with their heads wrapped around the caging, unable to move or to get food and water. The activists took several chickens with them when they left, so they could receive veterinary care. But some died on the way.

A Wegmans spokeswoman had assured Compassionate Consumers that the hens were well cared for, that all had access to food and water and that they were seen by a veterinarian. As the investigation showed, she was lying.

After the documentary was released, three of the activists were arrested. Two pleaded to lesser charges, and Adam Durand went to trial, charged with three counts of burglary, larceny and trespassing. He faced 21 years in prison. He spoke to Australia's Abolitionist-Online about the investigation.

The charge read, "entering a facility with the intent to commit a crime" and in this case it was rescuing hens. Each count carries 7 years in jail so the stakes were pretty high for me but luckily at the trial I was acquitted of all 3 burglary counts. I was also acquitted of the larceny charges but I was still convicted of the 3 trespassing charges.

Usually for a minor offence like trespass there's no jail time for that but in this case the judge wanted to set an example so he gave me a very strict punishment.

The judge sentenced Durand to six months in jail, one year of probation, community service and a fine. He told Erik Marcus of Vegan.com in March 2008 that the judge had to reverse part of the sentence because it was illegal. Durand ended up serving 35 days in jail.

Durand's newest documentary is "Fowl Play," which will be available on DVD after it finishes the film-festival circuit.

While battery cages contribute to creating miserable lives for chickens, eggs that come from "cage-free" chickens still are a result of suffering and murder. The chickens are often crowded into buildings with cement floors. The male chicks who are born are of no use to an egg-laying facility, so they are tossed into garbage bags and smothered or are lobbed into machines that grind them to death. The hens become egg producers and are slaughtered when their production wains.

The only way you can be assured that you're not supporting cruelty is by going vegan.