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Ricky Gervais is being commended for helping to stop plans for an ‘intensive’ rabbit farm in Buckinghamshire, UK.
The comedian and actor joined the calls by signing a petition, which garnered over 87,000 signatures of support.
Rabbit farm plans
‘We believe rabbit farming has no place in the 21st century… This farm should simply not be allowed to come into fruition’, the petition reads.
According to campaigners, the plans would see 250 female rabbits exploited to produce 10,000 offspring every year. This would funnel both the meat and fur industries.
Gervais slammed the plans, telling The Mirror: “If these plans go ahead it will mean thousands of baby rabbits bred and taken from hundreds of mother rabbits who are treated like breeding machines.”
Moreover, he branded it an attempt at bringing back fur farming ‘by the back door’.
Animal advocacy charity, PETA, joined the calls and wrote a letter of complaint in a bid to stop the application from going through.
Planning refusal
Buckingham Council planning officers rejected the rabbit farm plans, put forward by T&S Nurseries – a rabbit meat wholesaler supplying UK restaurants.
It received a staggering 150 objections, according to Bucks Free Press.
The company also offers ‘high quality’ rabbit fur products – from £200 scarves to cushions and bags.
PETA commended the ‘compassionate’ decision.
The charity said: “The farm would also have made a profit from selling the rabbits’ skins… even though fur farming has been banned in the UK since 2000.
“…This would have undermined the fur-farming ban and let this abhorrent industry back into the UK.”
Ricky Gervais
This isn’t the first time Ricky Gervais has made a stand against fur farming. For example, the After Life star urged the UK government to ban the sale of fur earlier this year.
He joined a plethora of other celebrities including Dame Judi Dench, Brian May, and Thandie Newton.
In a statement sent to PBN, he said: “Banning the sale of fur in the UK doesn’t even require debate. It’s a no-brainer.”
Just this month, the UK government launched a Call for Evidence as it considers the ban on fur sales and imports.
