A well-known animal activist group is praising Canadian specialty coffee company Second Cup after they’ve announced their commitment to use 100 per cent cage-free eggs.

On Monday morning, Second Cup Ltd., which has 310 cafes across Canada, announced a new step to improving animal welfare by switching to 100 percent cage-free eggs in its entire supply chain by 2020.

Photo Credit: Mercy For Animals.

The move has already been applauded by international animal protection organization Mercy For Animals, which helped Second Cup come up with the plan.

Mercy For Animals says they consider caged egg production a cruel form of animal abuse, as hens are forced to stay in one place, without the ability to walk, fly or spread their wings.

Many birds get stuck in cage wires and are injured or die.

Battery cages have already been banned by California, Michigan, and the whole European Union.

 “We commend Second Cup for joining the ranks of other socially responsible restaurants that have pledged to eliminate cruel cages from their egg supply chains,” said Krista Hiddema, managing director of Mercy For Animals in Canada. “This praiseworthy policy from Second Cup will reduce the suffering of countless hens each year.”

Hiddema said the days are numbered for companies that sell eggs from caged animals.

“Any food company that has not yet adopted a cage-free egg policy is simply out of step with consumer expectations and business trends,” she suggests.

For more on Mercy For Animals, visit their website.