Protesters harass local egg farmer following blaze

OADL

If Earle McEwen of North Gower didn’t feel badly enough when a blaze destroyed his barn along with 5,600 egg-laying hens last week, the Animal Defense League was right there to throw salt in the wound! 

The Animal Right’s Group surreptitiously gained access to McEwen’s property after the fire, to capture gruesome video footage of the chicken’s charred remains. 

Now how sick is that? 

According to a SUN Media report: 

On Friday a local group of animal rights activists stood at the edge of his property armed with signs reading “Birds Suffer and Die for Eggs you Buy” and the video footage. 

Michele Thorn would not reveal who captured the video, but her group, the Ottawa Animal Defense League was not afraid to distribute the gruesome footage to media. 

“It’s frustrating, it’s not any of their business,” McEwen said of the protesters. 

Thorn stood in the rain carrying an R.I.P. sign and a “bloody” cross, arguing there’s no need to eat eggs or any other food that comes from animals.”

Earle McEwen lives with his wife and his elderly parents live on the same property. 

What has this world come to when we put the rights of animals so far ahead of our human rights, that we feel it necessary to kick someone when they are already down. 

This group makes me sick and I only wish someone would have caught them trespassing onto Mr McEwen’s property. 

Can we now expect the Animal Defense League to bother the Joly family of Cumberland, who just lost 70 dairy cattle in a recent barn fire?

Outdoorsguy

28 thoughts on “Protesters harass local egg farmer following blaze”

  1. I’m a little confused by the Animal Defense League. Do they protest outside of farms always? Or do they just show up after accidents that destroy a farmers income, and way of life. I consider myself a animal rights supporter, but this is ridiculous. I don’t believe for a second that none of these protesters don’t eat a big scrambled egg breakfast every morning. These morons should be front and center protesting the now annual Coyote killings that are a nuisance to valley cats, housewives and squirrels! Not attacking farmers that feed us!!

    1. Thanks Ben…you have restored my faith in humanity…you, as a self proclamed supporter of animal right’s, think these people are out to lunch!

      I thank you sir for stopping by!

      Outdoorsguy

  2. Mr McEwan handled this the right way, say very little or say nothing, don’t give these idiots print space
    Thanks

    Ig

  3. Mr. McEwen,
    I admire your cool temperament under such dire circumstances you are under. As for the so-called Animal Protection League, just what does this pathetic group of self-centered group of morons think they are doing for animals that have already succumbed to such a tragic, non intentioned death. Surely there concern should be centered on saving living animals. Shame, shame shame to the mean and unthinking individuals that partook in this display of idiotic behaviour.
    Further Mr. McEwen, if the recorded film could, unequivocal, show that it was taken on your property, without consent, I think legal action would be most appropriate.
    Good luck in all your endeavors
    Retired one

  4. These protestors know nothing about agriculture or good husbandry. Have any of them worked or studied in the industry? I am waiting for them to protest composting. The ethical treatment of dead vegetables. Let’s build a monument to all the dead vegetables and put the white poppies there. This is how out of touch with society these people are.

  5. Absolutely disgusting. Iggy, I was thinking the same thing, he did handle it the right way. There is no reasoning with these protesters. They’ll just yell their slogans in your face while you try to have an informed conversation. However, I’m not sure I could have handled it the right way…

  6. @ Ethical Vegans LOL, that was funny

    @GPG, I agree, I probably would have blown a gasket, and that’s exactly what they want
    smart farmer

  7. I just hope that the backlash against these thoughtless people is enough to convince other NOT to jpoin them again in future similar activities. Yes we need to be considerate for the well being of all animals but surely the human species ranks above animals and they also are deserving of respect, particularly in times such as one who has just lost his livelyhood. Having loss my barn several years ago I can relate, fortunately our animals were not affected.

  8. Why the hell did these fools do this. What do you think man ate thousands of years ago. Man is meant to eat meat and poultry. These idiotic animal right activists are fools. They cannot tell men and women to stop eating meat, stop drinking milk and stop eating eggs. It is in our instincts for survival. We eat meat, we eat veggies. It has been this way for thousands of years. These activists should be arrested for trespassing and herrassing this poor farmer. GET A LIFE you animal right activists. What about the right of the farmer who is earning a living???

  9. I’m guessing these are the same people protesting for the betterment of rats.

    I do have something to confess, and my conscience won’t let it go. I accidently stepped on a worm the other day, I feel bad about it, I do promise that the worm didn’t suffer as it was done in one step. Please no protesters in front of my house, I will watch my step more closely next time.

    Seriously though, I do hope that the family has insurance to rebuild, and if not keep us appraised of any fund raising efforts. I’m sure it’s devestating to lose your livelyhood one day, but more so when other humans are more concerned about chickens than humans.

    Is it just me or are we allowing fringe groups too much say in how the rest of us live our lives. Aren’t they infringing on our freedoms, our right to legally earn a living, and to choose our lifestyle like they chose theirs? Except that meatatarians outnumber the veggie squad by 98%, yet we allow this very callous and dangerous cult to have a voice higher than they deserve.

  10. Have any of you visited an egg farm? The treatment of these animals is both disgusting and vile. The actions and timing of the Animal Defence League in this particular case was in poor taste, but it accomplished their main objective; we are now taking about the ethical treatment of animals. If they were protesting without the fire would we be talking about it?

    1. Aaron…you are sadly mistaken, we are NOT talking about the ‘ethical treatment of animals’ here…we are talking about the ‘unethical treatment of people’ at the hands of the Animal Defense League.

      THAT, my friend, is what this is all about so let’s make it absolutely clear!

      The ADL will NOT use this Blog as a platform to spew forth their own twisted agenda…of course I invite everyone to comment on the situation but will not allow this Post to be highjacked by ADL supporters to further their cause.

      Outdoorsguy

  11. exactly my point aaron, don’t give the villiage idiot a soap box

    and how does protesting after the animals are all dead help

    why weren’t you village idiot friends there the week before?

    you claim “in this particular case, it was in poor taste”

    every thing your village idiots do “is in poor taste”

    but we’ve come to expect no less

  12. @Aaron: we all have a choice to support local, traditionally run farms, but instead we as a society have decided that bigger, feed-lot, non-free-range types of operations are the way because society wants food that is cheap. These protesters are going about it all wrong. They need to target consumers to make more ethical decisions about the food they eat, from the way animals are treated to the way fruit and vegetables are grown. If we’d all stop supporting big box stores and chains like KFC, Walmart, Superstore, etc., or at least thought about the products we are buying, we could get the food industry to change to more ethical and environmentally friendly practices.

    To answer your question, yes, I have visited an egg farm, and in fact grew up on one. Our chickens were all treated humanely, and free-range before it even became the “in” thing to do so. Our operation was only about a 500 chickens, but still proved that larger operations can be run humanely, and provided ample food for our local economy. Don’t broad brush the industry. I’m left wondering what sort of operation Mr. McEwan ran?

  13. in my personal beleif , no we wouldnt be talking about it without the fire, there is nothing wrong with protest, its what makes the world go round, if we never questioned anything nothing would ever happen. the point is that the timing is disgusting and an embarrassment.

  14. I don’t see anywhere where it says these protesters trespassed? It says the group obtained the footage from someone else. Have you seen it? It was on YouTube – try looking under ottawa barn fire.

    Anyway, this farmer and his supporters just seem pissed that the cruelty of factory farming is being exposed big-time.

    The protesters may not be popular, but they sure got attention for this cause, and no doubt there will be at least a few open-minded people who will re-think what they eat.

    Keep putting this stuff in the news – it is free publicity for the animal rights cause!

    1. Mike said:

      “Anyway, this farmer and his supporters just seem pissed that the cruelty of factory farming is being exposed big-time.”

      Mike, if you truly believe that’s why people here are pissed, then you have no human decency.

      Outdoorsguy

  15. Hey Jeff i’m back W T F is going on what about the deer hunting ?????? i got one nice 8 pt. down around Kempville . ANY BODY ELSE .

    1. Hey Benthooks…great to hear from you!

      Better jump over to the Post about deer hunting(Start your Deer Camp)….you’ll feel more at home there.

      Outdoorsguy

  16. Us humans eat what comes in handy and we even enhance the type of food we eat with particular recipes. There is no law to my knowledge that prohibits our ways of consuming food and what consist of it, so why are these idiots protesting?

    Are they going to protest “maggots” eating stuff, cause they eat pretty much everything themselves, and if these idiots are not aware of reality, they are eventually going to be on the menu one day of these “maggots”.

    These “granolas” really must believe that things are raised in supermarkets or “Health Store”. They love to raise and hold “signs” for visibility. How about rasing and lifting a manure shovel or fork on a farm and obtain visibility that they do their share of feeding the population and maintaining on a daily basis an operation that demands hard work and basic knowledge of human needs.

  17. A farmer loses his livestock, building and income. This group shows up for media attention and their cause? I don’t want to insult vultures. Those birds serve a function in nature.

  18. Aaron, have you ever been to an egg farm? Or, are you just basing your opinion on photos on the web? I have been on an egg farm, dairy farm, beef farm, pig farm – and all were treated in very humane ways, even more so than I expected. Farmers care about their animals much more than you do about your goldfish. Maybe you should take the time and tour some of the local farms, they are warm and inviting people and will teach you a great deal about caring for animals. There are tours available if you are interested in learning the truth about farmers.

  19. These activists are nothing but anarchists. With that in mind I’d love to know how the fire was started. Any info on that Jeff ?….On another note. No moose(seen lots though), no deer yet, lots of beaver and muskrsts so far.

    1. Hey Trapper…no word yet on the cause of that fire.

      Too bad about the moose and deer..I’m hearing some of that around here as well…

      Its fun trapping before a thick layer of ice forms isnt it?

      Getting some nice blankets and supers??

      Outdoorsguy

  20. come on GPG, I’ve been on an egg farm and a beef farm too, they are just down the aisle from each other at the Metro
    lol

  21. Love trapping before the ice forms. Our goal each year is to have our beaver quota before the ice forms so that we don’t have to cut through the ice. If they were worth a hundred bucks or more we’d wait till Jan when the fur is premium. Got a few blankets and a few napkins.

    As soon as this darn deer season is done we’ll get serious with the wolf snaring and coon trapping. Once I get back to town we’ll kick ass on some coon on farms. The goal this year is 200 coon.

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