Sainsbury’s are facing a public backlash after killing three foxes outside one of its stores.
The backlash came after the company sent in exterminators to kill three foxes outside one of its supermarket stores in Dartford.
After a customer witnessed the shooting, over 46,000 people signed a petition to boycott the supermarket chain.
Sainsbury’s just following industry guidelines
Sainsbury’s have since released a statement which says: “An independent expert has confirmed our contractor correctly followed industry guidelines in the interests of the safety of our customers and colleagues.”
“We follow strict pest control guidelines to try to prevent issues. For example, to avoid attracting foxes we donate the majority of surplus food to charity partners the same day so it isn’t lying around. We also keep floors and surfaces clean to avoid attracting foxes and any other pests. We continue to trial different deterrents with our experts and view trapping foxes as a last resort.”
Animal Aid: unnecessary and cruel
Tod Bradbury, spokesperson for Animal Aid says: “This is a completely unnecessary and cruel act that goes against government advice which states that killing foxes is an ineffective way of resolving urban fox conflicts.”
Sainsbury’s have since changed their stance on foxes and pledged to only use humane deterrents for any future pest control issues with foxes.