The Frente Animal denounced the conditions of three animal farms in Portugal after receiving photographs and videos captured in August 2026. According to the organization, the images show chickens and rabbits dead in cages occupied by living animals, birds with extensive areas of their bodies featherless and rabbits with injuries to the face and ears. The material concerns a farm in Zêzerovo, in Ferreira do Zêzere, a laying-hen production unit of Clara & Gema, in the municipality of Batalha, and a rabbit farm in Atouguia, in the municipality of Ourém. The Frente Animal states that it filed a complaint with the competent authorities and calls for urgent on-site inspections.
The images were analyzed by three specialists, who identified concerns related to animal welfare, hygiene conditions and potential risks to public health. The veterinarian Nuno Paixão describes situations consistent with the presence of hen carcasses next to living birds, marked feather loss and dust accumulation on equipment. In the rabbit farm, he notes signs compatible with skin injuries and possible disease. The veterinarian stresses, however, that his assessment was based exclusively on the images, without visiting the facilities or conducting a clinical examination of the animals, and therefore cannot determine the causes of the deaths or the frequency of the problems.
In the rabbit farm, the organization also reports images of workers beating animals against the floor and of rabbits placed in freezers apparently still showing signs of life. The Frente Animal asks the Directorate-General for Food and Veterinary (DGAV) to verify whether the observed procedures comply with the rules applicable to slaughter and animal protection at the moment of death, namely Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009.
Portugal has more than 67% of laying hens kept in cages
According to data from the European Commission cited by the Frente Animal, updated as of September 23, 2026, 67.1% of laying hens in Portugal are kept in cages, almost double the European Union average of 35.5%. The organization recalls that, in 2023, the European Food Safety Authority recommended avoiding the use of cages, among other practices, to improve the welfare of these birds.
“A cage does not let an animal move away from anything: not from the others, nor from the mesh floor, nor from a body that remained beside it,” says Nuno Alvim, spokesperson for the Frente Animal, who advocates the end of intensive confinement in animal production.
The legal opinion prepared by lawyer Diogo Trabulo identifies indications which, in his assessment, justify verifying compliance with national and European animal protection rules. Among the described situations are live birds in contact with carcasses, some in an advanced state of decomposition, and rabbits with wounds, prostration or tremors. The lawyer also considers that the conditions documented at the Zêzerovo unit raise doubts about their compatibility with the requirements associated with the Welfair certification, disclosed by the company.
Dr. Júlia Ferreira Rebelo warns, in turn, of possible sanitary and environmental risks. The presence of dead animals, manure and broken eggs could favor the proliferation of pathogenic agents, including Salmonella, Campylobacter and E. coli, while the accumulation of manure and dust could contribute to the release of ammonia and bioaerosols. The doctor recommends a sanitary inspection and the collection of environmental samples, emphasizing that only these diligences will allow confirming the dimension of the risks identified in the images.
Requests for inspections and end of cages
The Frente Animal also draws attention to the public supports awarded to the companies mentioned in the communiqué. According to the organization, Zêzerovo received 300,000 euros from the PDR2020 program for packaging modernization, while Clara & Gema appears on a PRODER listing from 2012 as a beneficiary of support totaling 258,909 euros in public expenditure. The communiqué notes that the awarding of public subsidies does not constitute, on its own, an offense, but it emphasizes that it reinforces the public interest in verifying compliance with the rules.
The organization states that the Portugal Sem Gaiolas manifesto has already gathered more than 28,000 signatures and calls on the Government and the Assembly of the Republic for a national schedule to eliminate cages in the production of laying hens and rabbits. It also requests that the DGAV, the Authority for Food Safety and Economic (ASAE) and the local health authority carry out on-site inspections of the three farms and collect environmental samples, as well as the certification bodies to review animal-welfare audits.
The Frente Animal also appeals to consumers to check the first digit of the code printed on eggs: the number 3 identifies eggs from hens raised in cages. The organization argues that the transition to cage-free systems requires concrete commitments from the industry, distribution and policymakers.
What each person can do
– Check the code printed on the egg: the first digit indicates the production method (0 organic, 1 free-range, 2 barn, 3 cage).
– Sign the Portugal Sem Gaiolas manifesto, which already gathers more than 28,000 signatures: www.portugalsemgaiolas.com
