On August 2, Animal Justice brought Brave the Cage to four Canadian cities—Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, and Calgary. Outside Sobeys, IGA, and Farm Boy stores, we invited shoppers to spend five minutes inside a cramped wire cage in exchange for $20.
Participants got a glimpse of what life is like for the millions of hens in Sobeys’ supply chain. Many were shocked to learn that 80% of the eggs Sobeys sells still come from caged hens. This, despite the company’s decade-old promise to go 100% cage-free by 2025. The action drew national media coverage, showing volunteers sitting in tight wire enclosures to demonstrate the tiny space hens endure for their entire lives.
Shocking Conditions on a Sobeys Supplier Farm
The cages on city streets are nothing compared to what hens in cages experience 24/7. Shocking new undercover footage from a major Sobeys egg supplier reveals hens suffering in truly horrific conditions. It exposes the severe cruelty and neglect that hens endure in Sobeys’ supply chain—conditions completely at odds with the company’s animal welfare claims.
Sobeys’ Broken Promise
Sobeys made a public commitment more than a decade ago to go 100 percent cage-free. More than 10 years later, progress has stalled at just 20 percent. Sobeys’ current animal welfare policy allows for “enriched” battery cages. Although slightly larger cages with perches or scratch pads, the enriched cages are still filthy, crowded, and confine hens in conditions that cause injury, illness, and chronic suffering. You can see why they’re still cruel in our 2024 exposé.
It’s time for Sobeys to keep their promise and completely remove cages from the company’s supply chain for good.
Scenes from Brave the Cage Across Canada
Toronto
Montreal
Ottawa
Calgary
