Activists suspected over chicken thefts

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VIVA ALF! Activists suspected over chicken thefts nlnews02 April 2008 ANIMAL rights extremists have been blamed for the theft of a flock of chickens from a Crouch End allotments.The initials ALF, believed to stand for Animal Liberation Front, were found inside the coop on Shepherd's Hill Allotments after the overnight raid on Easter Monday.Bruno Dore, site secretary and a member of the seven-strong syndicate, said: "These people are deluded cowards. They can't understand the difference between factory farming and the keeping of a few pampered, entirely domesticated birds."The raiders ripped the fox-proof wire off the side of the run to get at the hens worth more than £400. The incident has been reported to the police.Mr Dore revealed the syndicate had bought some of the

birds as chicks and ended up with too many roosters to keep with the hens and so had been forced to kill some, along with any that became sick."We are fond of them but we're not so sentimental as to say we can't whack one on the head occasionally because we have to - that is part of animal husbandry - but these people will not accept that," he said.The Animal Liberation Front pledges "to liberate animals from places of abuse" and place them in "good homes". Robin Webb, Front spokesman, said: "Although allotment holders say some of the birds may have been rescued battery hens, the activist would argue they are still being exploited. They're being held in a restrictive compound."If it was the ALF, the birds would have been taken to private homes to live in large gardens or they may have been taken to a sympathetic animal shelter."He added: "All ALF actions are by their very nature criminal under the present legislation but many people

in the past broke the law in pursuit of the abolition of slavery and emancipation of women. "The ALF believes history will show they were equally justified in pursing the rights of non humans. http://pets.Fortheanimals7/join