FOUR PAWS success:
1.5 million geese saved from live feather plucking
 2. August 2009 – Important hungarian goose farmers have committed themselves to higher standards of animal welfare and have ceased the brutal practice of live feather plucking. Significant progress against live plucking was also made by FOUR PAWS in Germany, where the practice is illegal.
The Hungarian poultry producers Tranzit Ker (sold under the name Goldenfood) and Pannon Lùd are taking important steps towards increasing animal welfare. Tranzit Ker has stopped the live plucking of all 900,000 geese in their facilities, in cooperation with FOUR PAWS.
Pannon Lùd has also stopped the barbaric practice at most of its farms. The company recently gave up the practice of force-feeding geese for foie gras production, and has now taken a further step in becoming a modern, ethical company.
FOUR PAWS welcomes this brave step and encourages retailers to commit themselves to higher standards of animal welfare by buying products from companies who have assumed responsibility for the wellbeing of their animals.
“We hope that other Hungarian and Polish companies will recognise that responsible business practices and animal welfare are interconnected,” says Marcus Müller, campaign manager of FOUR PAWS.
Contracts with Tranzit Ker and Pannon Lùd should ensure these developments are effective. The contracts specify strict, unannounced control visits by animal welfare organisations and retailers. High contractually specified penalties should prevent producers from making a quick profit from live plucking.
Retailers and consumers must act – lower prices can mean animal cruelty
 FOUR PAWS demands that retailers remain vigilant. Polish and Hungarian companies continue to supply the market with cheap poultry products. These are by-products of live plucking or, in the case of Hungary, force-feeding. “The lower prices are a result of cruelty to the animals. Quality costs money – not just for consumers, but also for the meat buyers of Edeka, Aldi and other supermarkets”, explains Marcus Müller.
REWE Austria and Kaufland have assumed responsibility and forbidden their suppliers from engaging in live plucking.
Live plucking: an everyday occurrence in Hungary and Poland, despite EU ban
Millions of Hungarian and Polish geese suffer the agony of live plucking. So-called “feather brigades” pluck thousands of animals in a few hours. This results in seriously injured birds, high levels of stress and a number of dead animals. Wounds are stitched up on site, and without anesthetic.
The down won from this violent practice is sold all over Europe. The meat of the tortured animals lands in the freezers of European supermarket chains. “Despite an EU ban on live plucking, this practice is obviously tolerated in several countries. FOUR PAWS will continue to work against this barbaric practice, and we are confident we will end it,” says Johanna Stadler-Wolffersgrün, chief program officer of FOUR PAWS.
Hungarian goose producer Hungavid breaks its promise
 Unannounced controls in the past weeks have demonstrated that there are still a number of black sheep among poultry producers. The Hungarian producer Hungavid had signed a contract committing itself to an end to live feather plucking. However, FOUR PAWS employees discovered thousands of victims of live plucking at Hungavid goose farms and documented the results. The geese - meat company Hungerit also uses the cruel method of live feather plucking on their farms.
Germany: FOUR PAWS uncovers live plucking – farmer is forbidden from keeping animals
FOUR PAWS has also been successful in Germany, where a goose farmer was discovered to have been engaging in live feather plucking. The demands of FOUR PAWS for a ban on keeping animals and effective measures to be taken by the authorities were met: the farmer is no longer allowed to keep animals, and faces high fines or imprisonment.
Contact: Marcus Müller, E-Mail: marcus.mueller@vier-pfoten.org
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