Fighting Cocks pub is offensive to chickens

A group of animal rights activists is calling upon a historic UK pub to change its name from the Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, claiming it is offensive to chickens.

Credit: Wikipedia

Peta (People for the ethical treatment of animals) launched a campaign against the pub in St Albans urging its owners to rename it Ye Olde Clever Cocks, which they believe would recognise society’s “growing compassion for animals” and celebrate “intelligent, sensitive chickens”.

In an open letter sent to the chief executive of Mitchells and Butlers, which owns the pub, and its landlord Christo Tofalli, Peta requested that the pub end its association with the sport of cockfighting, which was banned in the UK in the 1800s. The pub was founded in the eighth century and has been called the Ye Olde Fighting Cocks since 1872 because of its history of cockfighting.

Peta said the name change would “encourage people to rethink the way that we treat chickens and grant these birds the respect and kindness that they deserve”.

Making its case, Peta compared the pub’s associations to cockfighting with slavery adding: “We understand that the pub has long been called Ye Olde Fighting Cocks and that there may be some resistance to making a name change, but just as many pubs with names tied to slavery changed their names to match modern sensibilities, so it’s high time for The Cocks to change.”

Today Tofalli told the St Albans Review that it would not be changing its name.

He said: “This is an historic building with a remarkable story behind it, and I take the responsibility of looking after the oldest pub in the country very seriously and want to share that history with locals and with the tourists that visit from far and wide all year round.  So I am not in favour of changing the name as I think that history and heritage is important to retain and protect.”