Exposed: factory farming’s best kept secret

During a recent investigation, our team visited rabbit farms in France, Spain and Italy - where more than three quarters of all rabbit farming in the EU takes place.

Appalling suffering was documented; rabbits kept in tiny, bare wire cages, unable to move freely or express their natural desires to dig or hide. Rabbit faeces were built up under the cages – piled up to knee-height in places. And there were bins – full of dead rabbits.

Watch the ground breaking footage here. Please be aware it contains scenes of a distressing nature.

Read our investigator’s eyewitness account of their experiences whilst exposing the shocking truth about rabbit factory farming in Europe. (Warning: some people may find this account distressing).

We must stop the suffering

Compassion believes that if rabbits are to be farmed then we have a responsibility to ensure that they are kept in humane farming systems. All farm animals should be allowed to live a life free from pain and mental distress, and be able to express their natural behaviours.

Keeping thousands of rabbits in small, barren cages is completely unacceptable and we must stop the suffering. We banned the barren battery cage for hens and now we must do the same for rabbits.

Rabbit meat available in the UK, not labelled from a higher welfare system, is almost certainly inhumanely farmed. Please tell your friends not to buy it and help us spread awareness by sharing our film with your friends.

Help us start the Rabbit Revolution today

Currently, rabbits have no species specific protection under EU welfare laws and have been left out of an important part of the new EU slaughter regulations for 2013. This means these animals are totally vulnerable to the kind of horrific treatment we witnessed during our investigation. If you would like to see an end to this suffering then please help us with a donation today.

• You could help fund our next investigation to expose and end the suffering of farm animals.
• Your gift could pay for the printing of leaflets to inform people who are unwittingly buying factory farmed meat about how they can shop more compassionately.
• And, with your support today we could start the lobbying needed to win vital new laws in Europe to help protect rabbits from cruelty and distress.

Compassion in World Farming is totally reliant on the financial help of our supporters and receives no government funding. We guarantee to use every penny received in the manner that we deem best suited to further our mission to advance the wellbeing of farm animals worldwide.

All investigations undertaken by Compassion in World Farming adhere to our code of conduct.