On June 21st 2018 NSW Hen Rescue, Legion DX Sydney and concerned members of the community attended a Lakesland egg farm where thousands of hens were being starved and dehydrated to death by farmer Shaun Stone.

It had been reported to the authorities 10 days earlier, yet no action had been taken by the RSPCA.

On the 19th June NSW Hen Rescue received anonymous footage showing the conditions had got worse and we launched a social media pressure campaign alongside Legion DX Sydney. The RSPCA finally attended, but when it became clear the RSPCA and police were not going to help the suffering hens many of whom could not stand to get to food or water, we attempted a rescue.

Police finally attended, not to assist with the emergency rescue, but to tackle rescuers, knocking dying hens from their arms, whilst the RSPCA looked on, one inspector (Inspector Genders) clapping with glee. 

Between June 2018 to Dec 2021 various rescuers from the group referred to as the Lakesland 13  have attended court, defending the right to rescue these hens. It should not be illegal to step in when animals are dying and no one is helping them. The fact we have been charged with aggravated trespass despite the clear necessity of taking action in this emergency is appalling and reflective of a society that views animals as disposable and unworthy.

We are now exposing the truth of what happened from the RSPCA’s own body cam footage from the day of attempted rescue. This organisation is not capable of protecting animals.

We believe that it was due to social media pressure that abuser Shaun Stone was prosecuted. His fine worked out at just $1.62 per hen killed,  yet the fact remains …

NOT A SINGLE HEN WAS SAVED BY THE RSPCA. 

So what exactly happened?

June 10 2018

A member of the public found approximately 50 hens stray on the road outside a Lakesland egg shed. Concerned for the girls’ safety she made an effort to round them back to the barn they appeared to have strayed from.

When she reached the shed she was shocked by what she found. Hundreds of dead and dying hens and an overcrowded, dilapidated shed. She took photos and called the RSPCA and the police. She was so concerned she also posted on a local lost and found animals page and a member of that page shared the photos with NSW Hen Rescue. We were disgusted but hoped the RSPCA or police would take immediate action.

Below you can see examples of some of the photos Evelyn took. 

June 19 2018 

NSW Hen Rescue received anonymous footage from the Lakesland egg farm run by Shaun Stone. It showed that not only had no action been taken by authorities, but that things had got a whole lot worse since the initial photos were taken.

We could see that there was no food or water and thousands of hens were dying of starvation and dehydration. We immediately called MP of the Animal Justice Party, Mark Pearson, and asked him to contact RSPCA NSW CEO Steve Coleman directly. Pearson contacted Coleman and urged him to prioritise the case. He informed him that NSW Hen Rescue would be able to help with providing emergency care and finding homes for the surviving hens.

View the anonymous footage we received below:

June 20 2018

NSW Hen Rescue and Legion DX Sydney shared the anonymous footage on social media and encouraged supporters to call the RSPCA and police to demand immediate action for the hens. The outpouring of concern for these girls was immense and the RSPCA had no choice but to act. They finally sent out 2 inspectors, but not until after dark.

From court transcripts we now know that RSPCA Inspector Lindsay and Inspector Genders did not take action that night due to the dark. It seems the RSPCA have not heard of very handy mobile flood lights readily available at Bunnings. That night, the inspectors told the farmer Shaun Stone they would be back the next day.

They instructed him not to move hens from the property, but did not take action to save a single hen.

Meanwhile representatives of NSW Hen Rescue and Legion DX Sydney had attended the property to try to negotiate the release of the hens to rescue but farmer Shaun Stone refused.

Later that night and into the early morning, members of the community witnessed men holding up to 10 hens at a time by the legs and putting them into a skip that was taken from the property early the next morning. Some of the hens were seen still flapping their wings.  It’s hard to believe the RSPCA left the hens in the care of their abuser with no protections in place.

Shocked that no hens had been seized, NSW Hen Rescue posted an event for the following day encouraging concerned people to attend the outside of the Lakesland egg farm and hold the RSPCA accountable. We would also be ready to assist with emergency care on site as well as rescue. 

June 21 2018

Concerned community members, NSW Hen Rescue supporters and Legion DX Sydney attended the property early in the morning. Animal carriers were unloaded and placed outside the farm ready to assist with emergency rescues once the RSPCA had conducted their investigation. We had invited the media in another effort to encourage the RSPCA to take action and save the hens. We also called the police to explain that hens had been taken off the property in a skip, but no action was taken.

The RSPCA turned up later that morning. The team consisted of RSPCA Inspector Lisa Maree Lindsay and Inspector Linda Genders along with DPI Senior Veterinary Officer Aziz Chowdhury. RSPCA Senior Inspector Croker turned up later that morning.

It is now clear the RSPCA did not bring a vet to help the hens, but just for biosecurity purposes. That means after what they saw on the anonymous footage and from the night before the RSPCA still did not see fit to bring a vet to provide emergency care to hens.

Whilst they would not share any info with us at the time, we now know their investigation began by counting a small sample of the approximately 1000 dead hens that Shaun Stone had bagged up overnight. They then walked down one side of the shed. They did not stop to inspect any individual girls even those that were clearly lame or suffering. They did not attempt to inspect the crowded area of the shed including a section which had flooded days before.

For the NSW Hen Rescue team and supporters, an anxious time was spent at the gate as we waited to find out what was happening and when we could assist with helping the hens. Sadly we now know from their own body cam footage, that whilst we were desperate to get in there and assist with helping the hens, RSPCA Inspectors Genders and Lindsay stood by whilst  Dr Aziz savagely broke two girls’ necks as samples (the poor girls took 2mins 39 secs to die).

RSPCA NSW CEO Steve Coleman had told MP Mark Pearson the RSPCA would attempt to negotiate rescue, yet we can see in the video they were in fact encouraging farmer Shaun Stone to ‘get rid’ of the hens and send them to slaughter.

We saw the RSPCA driving down to the gate and Catherine Kelaher, founder of NSW Hen Rescue,  questioned RSPCA Inspector Lindsay. Catherine asked repeatedly, ‘what are you doing today to help the hens?’ Inspector Lindsay replied, ‘It is an ongoing investigation.’ She would not say anything else. It was clear that no hens would be saved.

At that point, knowing that the girls were being left in the hands of their abuser again and thinking about all those who were unaccounted for, dumped in a skip bin, we knew we had to take action and try to save at least some of the girls.

After donning biosecurity gear, instructing attendees on how to properly handle the hens and on how many girls could safely go in each animal carrier, we headed up to the shed. As we approached we saw dead bodies littering the ground and heard the crunch of bones underfoot.

Watch the rescue attempt below.

June 21 2018 Continued

We begged the RSPCA to help us help the hens, but they ignored us. Instead they called the police and they finally turned up. But instead of helping with the emergency rescue they tackled us to the ground, knocking dying hens out of our arms. 

13 Lakesland rescuers (known as the Lakesland 13) were taken into police custody and charged with:

1. Aggravated trespass
2. Trespass
3. Stealing
4. Damage to property
5. And most baffling of all, animal cruelty.

Police have falsely claimed (based on RSPCA and farmer statements) that rescuers killed hens, despite the fact these girls were found drowning in their own excrement and gasping for breath as clearly demonstrated in the footage.

The horrific state we found the hens in was blamed on the rescuers rather than the farmer Shaun Stone.

In hindsight, this was a clever tactic as the media focused on the sensational story of rescuers ‘killing chickens’ as opposed to the horrific cruelty inflicted by Shaun Stone and the fact the RSPCA did not save a single hen. 

As rescuers sat on the grass, handcuffed, the hens knocked from our arms were grabbed by the wings by farmer Shaun Stone and his sons and taken back to the shed.

A rescuer called out, ‘Not by the wings!’

It was clear to rescuers that the men were harming the hens further by handling them in this callous manner.

At Narellan police station the 13 rescuers waited from around noon until 1am the following day to be given bail all the while thinking of the suffering the hens were still enduring at the farm. 

June 24 2018

A protest was arranged outside the Lakesland egg farm to demand the immediate release of the hens. There was a huge police presence and attendees from the Lakesland 13 were not allowed in the vicinity so waited nearby hoping we would be given the go ahead to rescue.

At this stage we still believed that  RSPCA CEO Steve Coleman was negotiating rescue. This was a lie that Steve Coleman told in his media interview that day. In fact, the slaughter truck was already booked and the hens may have already been killed at this point. 

Coleman spoke to Catherine Kelaher on the phone that day and said the hens could not be released to rescue that day as they had bird lice, but rescue was still being negotiated. As experienced hen carers at NSW Hen Rescue, we know that bird lice can easily be treated with a simple spray and it is something we do with all newly rescued hens. In fact, many wild birds have bird lice. It seemed absurd that this would keep the hens in the hands of their abuser. 

View Steve Coleman’s media interview from the day:

June 26 2018

After waiting all day for a phone call from RSPCA NSW CEO, Steve Coleman, Catherine Kelaher finally received a call at 6.08pm. Coleman informed her that they still had no date for when the hens could be be released.  He reiterated the message that she had already heard, passed on from MP Mark Pearson, that the RSPCA were willing to work with NSW Hen Rescue, but they first needed farmer, Shaun Stone, to release the hens.

Coleman ended the call by committing to calling Catherine on Thursday 28th June and informed her that Shaun Stone was currently complying with their recommendations. 

From the RSPCA’s own bodycam footage we can now see that this phone call was just a way to placate Catherine and NSW Hen Rescue supporters. In fact the RSPCA had encouraged Stone to book a slaughter truck on the 21st June. If Stone was indeed complying with their recommendations then the truck was already booked. 

Also note that the RSPCA were unwilling to use their powers to seize the hens despite the mass of evidence that should have made this a priority. If there were issues with moving the hens, care could’ve been provided on site.  

Taking Coleman at his word, Catherine began taking adoption applications and vetting homes for the hens.

June 28 2018

Steve Coleman did not call as he had said he would. 

Many supporters contacted us to let us know that Coleman was making calls to previous donors to tell them that rescuers showed ‘appalling behaviour’ to animal abuser, Shaun Stone and that NO HENS WOULD BE RELEASED TO NSW HEN RESCUE. This ‘appalling behaviour’ that would later come out in court, was rescuers begging Mr Stone to please let us help the hens. 

As it was now clear the hens would not be released to NSW Hen Rescue, we urged the RSPCA to work with any other rescue group and would have provided our database of homes to any rescue group. 

In written emails to supporters, Coleman claimed that attempts to work with NSW Hen Rescue had ‘broken down.’ In fact Coleman had only called Catherine twice, both times from a private number so she was unable to contact him. 

July 6 2018

NSW Hen Rescue received word of a rumour circulating the Lakesland area from a concerned local contact. It was believed that ‘owner’ of the Lakesland Hens, Shaun Stone, may have up to six other sheds filled with egg laying hens in similar deplorable conditions. The contact informed the RSPCA who said they would be passing this onto management for further review. 

July 11 2018

NSW Hen Rescue and Legion DX Sydney received anonymous footage showing that the shed at Lakesland was empty. All that was seen at the property was one dead hen, feathers, eggs and some detached wings.

On 4th July RSPCA wrote that ‘There has not been a biosecurity clearance to remove any hens from the property.’

They also said a number of times that ‘hens were unfit to travel.’ 

NSW Hen Rescue and supporters found this baffling and were beginning to see that they were probably not being told the truth about what was going on. From seeing the bodycam footage where Inspectors repeatedly encouraged Stone to ‘get rid of [the hens]’ we can guess that the hens were long gone before this point. 

July 17 2018

After some detective work NSW Hen Rescue and Legion DX Sydney confirmed that Albion Park Poultry and another caged egg farm located in Thirlmere were run by the same Shaun Stone who starved the Lakesland hens.

Both farms were stocked with hens and we were disgusted to think that animals were still under the ‘care’ of Stone. At the Thirlmere property hens lived in cages above piles of excrement. 

NSW Hen Rescue encouraged supporters to leave reviews of Albion Park Poultry online along with photos of Lakesland. A campaign was started to leaflet every single residence in Albion Park Rail with photos of the conditions at the Lakesland farm. The leaflet encouraged residents to boycott all eggs including Albion Park Poultry. 

See the anonymous footage below.

We may assume that RSPCA simply didn’t know about Stone’s other sheds. However later, from court transcripts of RSPCA body cam, we learnt that in fact RSPCA Inspector Lisa Maree Lindsay recognised Stone straight away from Albion Park Poultry:

Here is an except from the transcript:

Lindsay: “Shaun, do you own Albion Park Poultry?”

Stone: “Yes, but I want to keep it quiet. It will ruin me.”

Lindsay: “I thought I recognised your face. I dealt with you years ago.”

Stone: “Yeh, that’s right.”

Lindsay: “Okay, see you tomorrow.”

August 23 2018

The 12 adults from the Lakesland 13 attended their first court mention at Picton Local Court. 

All 12 entered pleas of not guilty. 

We had amazing (mostly pro bono) legal representation from  Peter Singleton, Hal Ginges, Faraz Maghami, Lang Goodsell and Tara Ward from the Animal Defenders Office. 

Singleton informed us this would be the best ever test case for taking action for animals due to necessity. If we were to win this case it would set a precedent for the right to rescue in NSW and would be a massive win for the animals. With those words, the case became far bigger than us and our charges. It was about animals across NSW and those trying to save them in the future. 

During the court date the rescuers learnt that Stone had been charged with only 5 counts of aggravated animal cruelty. Just 5 counts for the thousands of hens who suffered and died at his hands. 

Whilst we were pleased he would be facing charges, it was nowhere near enough. 

We believe the pressure placed on the RSPCA was the reason these charges were brought as farm cases do not usually seem to be the RSPCA’s priority in our experience. 

That day the Lakesland rescuers wore red ribbons to remember the hens who had died. 

Further court dates would be set over the rest of 2018

January 24 2019

The young person who was charged for standing up for the Lakesland Hens had all charges dropped by the Prosecution. The remaining 12 rescuers were very pleased that she was able to achieve this result.

March 25 – Friday 29 March 2019

This week the rescuers faced the first 5 days of their court hearing at Liverpool Local Court. The court case was a rollercoaster of emotions for rescuers who had to relive the attempted rescue when watching police and RSPCA body cam. It also became apparent that there was never any effort made to rescue the girls, contrary to Steve Coleman’s claims. 

When Catherine Kelaher took the stand she described walking to the shed, the crunch of bones underfoot and the shock of what and who she found in the shed.

The prosecution was tough and repeatedly claimed that the only reason for the attempted rescue was to further NSW Hen Rescue as an organisation.

Further court dates were set for later in the year as even in 5 days, not all the evidence had been examined.

It was disheartening to see rescuers reach out to the RSPCA and have our pleas to help the girls ignored and to listen to the way the authorities spoke of these suffering girls as “stock” and “it”.

In terms of the rescuers, five chose to take plea deals due to personal circumstances that meant it was in their best interests to plead guilty to trespass and theft with the remaining charges dropped.

The remaining 7 stuck with not guilty pleas and had the cruelty charge dropped, due to lack of evidence and the malicious damage charge dropped for all except one.

The remaining charges to be faced were:

1. Trespass
2. Aggravated trespass
3. Theft

April 30 2019

Shaun Stone was convicted of 5 counts of aggravated animal cruelty. Stone received a $6500 fine (half to go to the RSPCA), a 5-year ban from owning animals and a 16-month community service order. 

Whilst we are pleased Stone was convicted, we are disappointed at the sentence. The fine works out as only $1.62 per hen if we take the RSPCA’s number of 4000 as correct. In reality, we know there were many more hens than this that Stone discarded in a skip on the night of 20th-21st June 2018.

November 13 2019

Shared via Animal Defenders Office: https://www.facebook.com/ADOACT/posts/2214237962011095

VERDICT! Lakesland Hen Rescuers Case – Day 10:

Today in Liverpool Court the Magistrate found the Lakesland Hen Rescuers who had defended the charges against them guilty of aggravated trespass but not guilty of stealing (chickens).

The defendants had argued their actions were necessary to avoid the unconscionable pain and suffering endured by the approximately 4,000 hens in that shed on that day in June last year, when authorities refused to take immediate action or provide veterinary care to assist the suffering and dying hens. The Court rejected that argument.

In sentencing, the Court did not record a conviction for those who had pleaded guilty early in the proceedings, instead handing them a 12-month good behaviour bond. Those who defended the charges were given a $1500 fine,  on the grounds that their attempted rescue was vigilantism.

In all it is a terrible indictment of our animal protection system that those persons who risked life and limb to render immediate assistance to suffering animals should be charged with criminal offences including aggravated trespass and stealing. We need a properly funded enforcement body that is independent of both government and industry to ensure all sentient animals, including the millions of egg-layer hens in sheds and cages around this State, are properly protected by the law.

The ADO is proud to have represented 8 of these brave persons throughout this case led by our extremely learned Counsel Peter Singleton, and we commend all the defendants for their compassion and concern for the well being of all animals.

END POST …

In summary those convicted received following:

• Aggravated trespass: guilty verdict; conviction recorded and $1500 fine imposed.
• Trespass: withdrawn
• Stealing: not proved (dismissed).
• Cruelty to animals: withdrawn.
• Damage to property : withdrawn

The remaining members of the Lakesland 13 began to look into their options for lodging an appeal. 

6 rescuers decided to lodge an appeal in the Supreme court to try to prove necessity for taking action for the hens. 1 rescuer decided to appeal the severity of the sentence. 

November 23 2019

Supporters who live in Albion Park Rail informed us that Albion Park Poultry has been demolished. 

We confirmed that the Thirlmere property is also empty. 

February 12 2020

Catherine Kelaher, founder of NSW Hen Rescue, attended the Legislative Committee on the Animal Cruelty Laws in NSW. This committee would look at whether animal protection laws and enforcement in NSW are effective. Catherine provided an 11 page document detailing the failure of the RSPCA and police to save the Lakesland hens and was questioned by members of the committee. 

February 27 2020

The Rescuer who appealed the severity of their sentence was successful with their appeal to the District Court. The sentence was set aside and a much more lenient sentence was given instead: no conviction recorded, no fine, and a 12 month ‘good behaviour bond’. 

December 4 2020

The government filed their response to the report from the NSW Legislative Council’s Select Committee on Animal Cruelty Laws in NSW. 

This was the inquiry Catherine Kelaher provided evidence for in February 2020. 

In a crushing move for animals, the NSW government rejected all recommendations from the report. In regards to the recommendation to establish an Independent Office of Animal Protection, the government responded that it was not supported as ‘animal welfare laws are currently provided through a robust framework of agencies and groups including the NSW DPI, NSW Police and the approved charitable organisations.’ 

I think the Lakesland hens would beg to differ that these agencies are doing their job effectively. 

The report also rejected the suggestion of moving responsibility for animal welfare matters out of the Department of Primary Industries. They stated that ‘the DPI have extensive animal care expertise.’

I would ask the decision makers to watch the video of Senior DPI vet Dr Aziz Chowdury savagely breaking the necks of two of the Lakesland hens whilst appearing to ignore the suffering of the other hens. How can a department so tied up in animal agriculture protect those most vulnerable?

The decision of the NSW government showed just how far the animal rights movement still has to go and what a fight we have ahead of us to create a society that truly provides protection for animals. 

December 9 2020

JUDGEMENT

Justice Adamson dismissed the appeal and ordered rescuers to pay the defender’s costs of the proceedings. In her judgement Adamson stated that our actions were not necessary as the RSPCA was already in attendance. 

The organisers of the attempted rescue, Isy Veira and Catherine Kelaher responded by releasing damning footage captured on the day of rescue by RSPCA Inspector body cams (video at top of page).

“The video shows the RSPCA’s blatant disregard for the hens and proves beyond a reasonable doubt that, contrary to Justice Adamson’s ruling, there was “irreparable damage” to the hens and the RSPCA never had any intentions of saving them.” Catherine Kelaher founder of NSW Hen Rescue

Veira and Kelaher maintain that the video is proof that the actions taken by the rescuers were indeed justified and that the RSPCA cannot be entrusted to protect animals and should be stripped of their investigative powers.

Whilst Justice Adamson wrote in her judgement that, “an alternative to your  [the rescuers] conduct was available, being the RSPCA” Veira and Kelaher maintain that there was never any intention by the RSPCA to rescue any hens. This is shown in the video where multiple inspectors instruct Shaun Stone to ‘get rid of them [the hens]’ and do not at any time attempt to negotiate rescue. Despite Coleman claiming to the media on the 24th June 2018 that they were “working towards [rescue] as a possible solution” the RSPCA had actually encouraged Stone to book the slaughter truck days earlier. 

“Due to our previous experiences with the RSPCA, we had strong concerns they would not save any hens. We knew inspectors had finally visited due to ‘the pressure’ the night before and despite what they had found had left the hens in their abuser’s care. The evidence provided by the RSPCA bodycam, confirms our concerns” Isy Veira Co-Founder Legion DX Sydney

The video shows that RSPCA Inspectors did not inspect individual suffering hens. It shows Inspectors standing by whilst a DPI vet brutally broke the necks of two hens as samples. These hens took 2mins 39 seconds to die and the Inspectors did nothing. 

Veira and Kelaher maintain that the video evidence provided on the bodycam footage conclusively shows that the rescuers acted out of necessity.

NSW Hen Rescue ask that the charges be dropped, setting a precedent for the right to rescue and demand that the RSPCA are stripped of their investigative powers making way for an Independent Office of Animal Protection

January 5th 2021

Notice of Intention to Appeal Lodged.

Out of the 6 Lakesland hen rescuers who appealed their conviction, one has decided to lodge another appeal in an attempt to show that it was necessary to take action to try and save the Lakesland hens. Isy Veira appealed her conviction with the full support of NSW Hen Rescue. Whilst all the rescuers would have liked to appeal, we did need to bear in mind the court costs, especially if we were to lose the case. 

We are so grateful to Isy for pursuing this appeal. Winning would have set a precedent for the right to rescue and would have shown that sometimes it is necessary to take a minor illegal action to prevent a major illegal action.

In this case we believe trespass was necessary to prevent aggravated animal cruelty, especially as the RSPCA did not save a single hen.

Watch the video above to get the full story from Catherine and Isy about why another appeal was so important.

We are so grateful for the funds raised towards this appeal. We did not raise enough to cover our previous court costs, but the support we have received has been amazing.

Dec 10th 2021:

Despite her brave attempt, Isy Veira was unsuccessful in her appeal with the court maintaining that our action was not necessary since the RSPCA was in attendance. As you know from reading this page, the RSPCA did not help a single hen. Whilst we are very disappointed with this outcome, we understand that the justice system is far behind society and even society does not yet value chickens as individuals.

Barrister Peter Singleton maintained that there would never be a better case to test necessity for animals. A win in another appeal would have set a precedent for the right to rescue. We know we did the morally right thing and I am so proud of everyone involved. 

One thing is for sure we will never forget the Lakesland hens. The judgement along with the government’s recent refusal to establish an Independent Office of Animal Protection are decisions sadly reflective of a society that does not value farmed animals beyond their use as commodities. This needs to change. 

From Suffering to Sunshine

The hens we rescued provided bright glimmers of hope amongst all the sadness. From emaciated, dehydrated bodies that had known only suffering, these resilient girls recovered and fully embraced their new lives.

Kim, pictured on the left, became our Head Human Preener, while her best friend Kourtney earned the title Chief Treat Connoisseur. Though their harsh debeaking remained a visible reminder of their past trauma, these girls never let their suffering define them. Instead, they discovered the simple joys of basking in sunshine and taking luxurious dust baths. We only wish the same opportunity could have been given to all the Lakesland hens, who were so badly let down by those meant to care for them.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us for far. We are so grateful.

To support NSW Hen Rescue you can donate here: https://henrescue.org/donate

Watch this space…

COMING SOON … a heart-pounding memoir by Isy Veira, challenges readers to confront their moral boundaries while revealing a shocking saga hidden within the shadowy world of animal agriculture. You can watch the video annoucement here.

“Would you jump a fence to save a child drowning in their backyard pool? Would you smash a window to save a dog locked inside a hot car? What is the line you would cross to save a life?” Isy Veira