On Tuesday, March 10th, Mercy For Animals joined local animal advocates at the Sobeys Head Office near Toronto, Ontario. They arrived with a clear demand from thousands of concerned consumers: for the grocery chain to ban cages for hens without further delay.
After delivering the petition, advocates held a powerful demonstration. Protesters were joined by a mobile billboard showing footage from a recent undercover investigation into a Sobeys egg supplier, exposing shocking conditions and heartbreaking cruelty in the company’s supply chain.
Sobeys’ Broken Animal Welfare Pledge
Sobeys’ customers have been betrayed. In 2016, Sobeys—the grocery arm of Empire Company Limited—publicly promised to eliminate cages by 2025. The massive retailer later shamelessly retracted their deadline and has since failed to share how or when they plan to fulfill their pledge.
As a consequence, millions of sensitive birds have been abandoned to suffer in cages indefinitely. Sobeys has been stalled at 0% cage-free progress for three years in a row, and as of 2025 reporting, over 80% of hens in their supply chain are still caged.
The Cruel Reality of Cage Confinement
Trapping hens in cages is widely recognized as one of the cruelest practices in factory farming. Hens on the average Canadian egg farm are confined to an area smaller than a legal-size sheet of paper for their entire lives. They are denied the ability to engage in essential behaviors, such as running, exploring, or even spreading their wings.
Public opinion on the issue is clear—Canadians overwhelmingly oppose forcing hens to live in wire cages, and they deserve better than a broken promise. Sobeys must align their all-Canadian brand with true Canadian values by banning cages for good.
Sobeys’ New CEO: Will He Change This Legacy?
Sobeys’ recently appointed CEO, Pierre St-Laurent, must now decide whether to lead with compassion and integrity, or continue his predecessor’s legacy of avoiding accountability for broken promises.
Mr. St-Laurent previously oversaw Sobeys’ national grocery supply chain, meaning he knows what it will take to transform his egg supply chain. As it stands, Sobeys is currently falling far behind other Canadian retailers in cage-free progress, while industry peers like McDonald’s and Boston Pizza have already fulfilled their cage-free commitments.
This failure has not gone unnoticed. More than 2,800 concerned consumers have signed our petition, demanding that Sobeys finally honor its word. We brought the weight of these thousands of voices directly to this new era of leadership—and this was the result:
The Outcome
We successfully delivered the petition signatures directly to Sobeys’ leadership team. By acknowledging the immense public demand for decisive action, Sobeys has taken a critical first step towards accountability. But acknowledgement is one thing, decisive action is another. Now, the company must act with urgency to stop caging hens once and for all.
Add Your Voice
As Canada’s second-largest grocery retailer, Sobeys has the power and responsibility to keep their promise. More than ever, we must continue the fight for caged hens. Add your voice to thousands urging Sobeys to share their plans to ban cages at SoNotCanadian.ca.
