Pig farming

2019 Exposé:

Signium Piggery

Anonymous activists contacted Animal Liberation QLD and Animal Liberation NSW with distressing footage from Signium Piggery, located in NSW.

The released video, which includes hidden camera footage obtained between July and August 2019, shows:

• An extreme rat infestation

• Decomposing corpses being eaten by rats

• Floor and food troughs covered in rat faeces, being eaten by pigs and piglets

• Bodies of pigs being left outside completely exposed

• Sows and boars confined to tiny stalls who are only let out for mating purposes

• Pigs being hit, sat on, kicked and poked with metal poles and cattle prods for not complying.

This facility has previously been fined tens of thousands of dollars (as recently as 2018) for environmental breaches, yet, it remains open and operating.

As the government and animal agribusinesses scramble to introduce new laws under the guise of “biosecurity”, we raise the question – does this farm look biosecure to you?

Outcome

Despite the footage clearly showing breaches to animal welfare and biosecurity, no charges were laid. The EPA inspectors, who visited the facility after our report, believed that the carcass disposal practices at Signium piggery are "compliant with the EPA licensing requirements." See their full response here (PDF).

2019 Exposé:

Wacol Facility

In January (2019) Animal Liberation NSW and Animal Liberation QLD anonymously received footage from a weeklong investigation of a boar semen collection facility in Wacol, Brisbane. What they found was utterly disturbing and truly heart-breaking.

Semen collection farms are a relatively unknown facet of the industry. The boars were confined to tiny concrete cells (similar to sow stalls), leaving them unable to walk or even stretch. They were starving and thirsty and regularly abused by workers. Those with injuries or illnesses were not treated and only a select few were released from their stalls for semen collection throughout the week, while the rest remained captive in their tiny cells.

One of the boar’s muscles weakened to the point where he became stuck laying on his side, unable to reach his food and water. Instead of helping him, the workers sprayed water in his mouth with a hose and chucked his food on the filthy ground. We named him Boe – you can see his story below.

The boar’s received no enrichment, no exercise, and all showed signs of distress and boredom.

Action

When we received the footage our immediate concern was around the strong possibility of another boar suffering a similar fate to Boe from untreated illness and dying a slow painful death. Animal Liberation QLD immediately informed the authorities with a complaint to RSPCA QLD and passed on the video footage. RSPCA QLD acted quickly and arranged a team of inspectors and vets from both RSPCA QLD and Biosecurity QLD to conduct a surprise inspection.

Outcome

When we received the footage our immediate concern was around the strong possibility of another boar suffering a similar fate to Boe from untreated illness and dying a slow painful death. Animal Liberation QLD immediately informed the authorities with a complaint to RSPCA QLD and passed on the video footage. RSPCA QLD acted quickly and arranged a team of inspectors and vets from both RSPCA QLD and Biosecurity QLD to conduct a surprise inspection.

What’s Next?

Sadly, this is the reality for the millions of animals who are born into the animal agribusiness industry. The system is designed to lower costs and increase “production”, leading to the legalisation of horrific cruelty, failing these animals on multiple accounts.

This investigation and the lack of prosecution and action is why Animal Liberation NSW is pushing for an Independent Office of Animal Welfare. There is a blatant conflict of interest for those responsible for enforcing animal welfare laws, as they profit off of the industry and ultimately animal suffering

We are so thankful for the selfless people who risked everything to bring this cruelty to light. Without them, the general public would remain hidden to the ugly side of animal farming. We are also thankful for those who shared the videos and petitions and are helping us form a strong fight for the animals.

Our ultimate goal is to end all animal exploitation, which is where we need you, the consumer, to make educated and kind choices. Consumers ending the demand for animal flesh and embracing change, we can ensure that these cruel facilities will cease to exist. All you have to do is choose vegan and raise awareness by sharing stories like Boe’s on social media.

Australians are against animal cruelty and together we can end the slaughter.

2016 Exposé:

Gretna, Tasmania

Hidden cameras captured workers hitting and inadequately stunning animals, shooting them with a rifle, and often stunning or killing them in front of each other.

2015-2016 Exposé:

Yelmah Piggery, SA

In 2016 Animal Liberation NSW exposed atrocities occurring at Yelmah piggery in South Australia.  Footage showed workers hitting and kicking pigs and piglets, riding around on sows, artificially inseminating female pigs with tubes of semen, throwing piglets and cutting piglets' ears and teeth without pain relief.

This expose went around Australia to highlight the suffering of the pigs in this place but to a larger extent, what happens all too frequently in intensive piggeries.  None of these things would ever see the light of day were it not for courageous activists.

RSPCA South Australia investigated the footage and facility, and no action was taken.

Media

Hidden Camera Footage Exposes Alleged Animal Cruelty at Piggery - Daily Telegraph

2015 Exposé:

Three Victorian Pig Slaughterhouses

In 2015, Animal Liberation Victoria (alv.org.au) and Animal Liberation NSW investigated three separate Victorian pig slaughterhouses known for using the pig industry's "best practice" stunning method: carbon dioxide gas chambers, where most pigs in Australia, including those raised as "free-range", take their final breaths.

These gas chambers rely on some major misconceptions. In particular, it is suggested that, like might be expected with carbon monoxide, the pigs gently fall asleep, unaware of what's happening. With carbon dioxide, however, it's the complete opposite - the pigs lose consciousness through agonising asphyxiation.

The investigation involved climbing down into the chamber while wearing an oxygen tank to position hidden cameras. The activist who did so immediately noticed their eyes burning, which led to the discovery that when carbon dioxide reacts with liquids or mucus coated membranes (like that of the eyes, nostrils, sinuses, throat, and lungs), it forms carbonic acid. From their first lungful of gas, these pigs are burning from the inside out.

The three slaughterhouses are:
- Diamond Valley Pork, Laverton VIC
- Australian Food Group, Laverton VIC
- C A Sinclair, Benalla VIC

At Diamond Valley Pork, the camera captured a pig who somehow pushed through the barrier into the chamber before a gondola was in place, falling onto the gondola below and then down to the bottom of the chamber - if the fall didn't kill him, the gas would have within minutes.

At the Benalla abattoir, workers use high amperage electric prods connected to mains power, delivering repeated excruciating shocks to the pigs in order to force them up the chute into the gas chamber. On multiple occasions, the prod was held against the anus of the pigs. This is done all day long by several different workers, in full view of the facility's surveillance cameras.

Outcome

As gassing is considered a “humane” way to kill pigs, no charges were laid.

2012 Exposé:

Wally’s Piggery

In 2012 Animal Liberation undertook a 2-month investigation in Wally’s piggery in Murrumbateman NSW. This pig farm was filthy and in complete disrepair, with many piglets and sows suffering injuries or death due to beatings by employees, the crumbling structure and a high prevalence of disease. The owner bludgeoned his pigs to death with a sledgehammer for private sale.  Sows were shown with high levels of psychological harm including chewing on metal bars. No captive bolt or stun guns were located, the owner preferring to beat the pigs to death.

Outcome

In August 2012 a raid was conducted by Yass police, the NSW Food Authority, RSPCA and the Department of Primary Industries.

In October, Valent (Wally) Perenc, 64, Stephanie Perenc, 58, and their financial backer WSL Investments Pty Ltd, pleaded not guilty to a total of 53 charges of aggravated animal cruelty, failing to provide veterinary treatment or failing to comply with industry regulations. The magistrate dropped all cruelty charges.

Wally's Piggery and a connected business, Tennessee Piggery, near Young, closed in early 2013 amid a public furore over the footage.

Media

Piggery Footage reveals horrendous cruelty - ABC

Ag-Gag laws backed to hide animal cruelty - New Matilda

2006 Exposé:

Windridge Piggery

2000’s

Bus Advertisements

1998:

Boen Boe Piggery, NSW

Animal Liberation took "A Current Affair" to Boen Boe piggery in NSW. The RSPCA eventually successfully prosecuted management for keeping breeding sows in stalls, which "caused distress and suffering" an important precedent.

1996:

Rescues

1996 Sit-In:

Bunge Piggery, NSW

In 1996 The Hon. Richard Jones MLC and 34 activists did a sit-in at BUNGE piggery, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. As a result, the company invested millions of dollars into eco shelters where sows can wallow in rice hulls.

1990:

Piggery, NSW

In 1990, Animal Liberation exposed another NSW facility.

1987:

Bunge Piggery, NSW

In 1987, Animal Liberation activists investigated Bunge Piggery in NSW, exposing the miserable lives of sows confined to stalls.

1995 Sit-in & Protest:

Parkville Piggery & Canberra, NSW

In 1995, Professor Peter Singer, Lynda Stoner, and 32 others chained themselves to sow cages at Parkville piggery, part-owned by then prime minister Paul Keating. The result of this action was a subsequent ban on the tethering of sows.

1992 Protest:

Parkville Piggery, NSW