On September 4 and 5, staff and volunteers of Grass Valley-based Animal Place spared the lives of 2,000 White Leghorn hens from a battery cage egg farm where they were headed for slaughter. Dubbed “Operation Hen Freedom,” the rescued chickens have spent their entire lives living in cages without ever touching the ground or seeing the sun—and will receive veterinary care before being adopted by pre-screened homes. Kim Sturla, executive director of the non-profit sanctuary, explains to SFGate.com what these animals experience after being rescued from a factory farm. “They’re a little loopy when they first get here. It’s almost impossible to adequately describe what they’ve suffered. But after they’ve been here a few weeks, they usually look pretty good. They start to enjoy themselves and act like normal chickens.” Founded in 1989, Animal Place has rescued more than 16,000 animals in the past four years alone.

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