The footage reveals a culture of abuse amongst Peddars Pigs’ workers, a company that is RSPCA Assured, and offers a ‘higher welfare’ rearing and transport system. Pigs were shocked with an electric goad, slapped, crushed and kicked whilst being transported to slaughter. Tiny piglets, who were just weeks old, were kicked, hung upside down, crushed and thrown by workers.
Disturbing scenes, caught on Animal Justice Project’s cameras, show workers hit young, frail piglets with boards, kick them, throw them in the air and down trailer ramps, and hang them upside down. On one day, around 3,000 piglets were loaded and unloaded at RSPCA Assured farms, by workers from Peddars Pigs.
“Piglets were kicked with such force that they became airborne on the loading ramp, and they were hit forcefully with boards resulting in the same. These piglets are only three to four weeks old, there is absolutely no justification for use of force on such a small animal.” - Dr Alice Brough BVM&S MRCVS, UK pig veterinarian
Finisher pigs – those who have been fattened until the age of 5-6 months old and were due to be slaughtered – were shocked in their faces, shoulders, fronts and rear ends with an electric goad. The panicked animals attempted to escape as workers shocked them in quick succession, despite being unable to move forward. The use of electric goads is forbidden by both the RSPCA and Red Tractor, and legally it must be only used as a last resort, but there is never an excuse to use such a heinous and cruel weapon.
The distress continued for the pigs as they were physically assaulted whilst being loaded onto a transporter so that they could be killed. No animal should be born, fattened and have a slaughter date pinned onto them, but enduring physical abuse on top of it reflects how callous these workers are.
“The footage shows that use of the electric goad was repeated and gratuitous, and thus constitutes a significant breach in welfare regulations.” - Dr Alice Brough BVM&S MRCVS, UK pig veterinarian
During the 125 hours of undercover footage, lame pigs were filmed who were unable to bear weight on their legs. No lame animal should ever be transported. Scrotal hernias appeared to be a common health issue amongst the terrified animals.
Pigs suffer even during short journeys due to their inability to regulate their body temperatures, being mixed with unfamiliar pigs, and subjected to abusive handling. Changes to welfare legislation will never stop this from happening. Limits on journey length, increases in headroom allowance or even changes to the temperatures by which transport is allowed, will ever protect pigs.
Non-compliances are common during transportation. In 2021, there were a staggering 1.26 million animal welfare non-compliances logged by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) at slaughterhouses. By their own admission, this is an underestimation of the true extent of the problem. These breaches include emaciated individuals, lame, injured (including broken limbs and prolapses), sick and evidently abused animals. There were almost 3,000 non-compliances for pigs with 770 of them tragically dying during transportation to slaughter.
Find out more about general animal transport -
As a consumer, you have a lot of power. Animals are not stock. They have a right to their own autonomy, including the right to not be forcibly transported to aid in their exploitation. Don’t turn away from their screams. Pigs, and all animals, need us to help stop these horrors. The best way that we can help animals is to be vegan, and stop funding this barbaric industry.
These pigs, who were maliciously assaulted during our investigation, could have had many happy, enriched years ahead of them. Instead, Peddars Pigs and RSPCA Assured have chosen to exploit, abuse and kill them. It doesn’t have to be this way. You can change the future for other animals.
Together we can create a more compassionate world for everyone. Go vegan to help animals and donate below to drive the change towards a vegan future.
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