Victoria Chicken Rescuers Named ‘Hero to Animals’ by PETA
18.06.2026
Geelong — In November, four animal defenders from the Farm Transparency Project were arrested for allegedly rescuing eight chickens just weeks from being killed for meat at Pavilion Farms in Anakie, Victoria. Now, Geelong Magistrates Court has dropped all charges against Chris, Siena, Harley, and Catriona – and PETA has given the four activists its Hero to Animals Award.
Pavilion Farms owns six massive broiler farms, each holding up to 400,000 chickens and breeding 12 million sensitive birds for slaughter every year.
“The bravery of these four animal defenders is inspiring,” says PETA Executive Agent Mimi Bekhechi. “We hope that their actions will help to remind people that chickens are all unique individuals who value their lives – not nuggets or wings. Not everyone can rescue animals from farms, but we can all save lives by leaving animals off our plates.”
Chickens form complex social structures, dream when they sleep, and worry about the future – but in the meat industry, they’re crammed into sheds by the tens of thousands and bred to grow such unnaturally large upper bodies that their legs often become crippled under the weight. At the abattoir, they’re shackled upside down, their throats are slit, and they’re scalded in defeathering tanks – sometimes while still conscious. PETA’s free vegan starter kit can help anyone looking to make the switch.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”— points out that when it comes to the ability to feel pain, hunger, and thirst, a chicken is a dog is a boy. For more information, please visit PETA.org.au and follow PETA on Facebook and Instagram.
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