GONE TO THE HOGS
»»‘Coffin-like’ conditions for pigs on farms »»Undercover investigation shocks Irish vet
ANIMAL welfare groups have sounded the alarm on the “coffinlike” confines and “cruel” practices many of Ireland’s 1.6 million pigs face after a covert probe.
Animal Rebellion Ireland and the National Animal Rights Association yesterday unveiled at a Dublin conference the “abominable” cold and filthy conditions in which animals are kept.
Pictures and video taken at random pig farms in January showed untreated wounds and injuries were commonplace, sometimes swarming with flies.
Docked tails that had become infected featured as well as dead bodies piled up outside while tiny cages used to pin down pregnant or breast-feeding sows are routinely used.
Tail docking is banned in the EU but has been used to prevent biting by distressed pigs deprived of suitable enrichment.
We spoke to Dr Alice Brough, a porcine veterinarian who said she grew up on a livestock farm, worked in a pig factory and later became a vet before leaving with PTSD because “the pig industry broke me”.
While Alice worked in England, she was asked to review the footage captured in Ireland and says the conditions pigs face here are even worse.
She told us ahead of her press conference appearance with ARI and NARA: “I was so shocked by what I’ve seen. I looked after hundreds of farms in my career.
“There’s literally nothing I’ve been sent from an undercover farm investigation that I haven’t seen hundreds of times before.
“But British farms have ostensibly higher welfare standards than Irish farms... sow stalls were banned in the UK in the 90s.
“The terrible injuries, the sickness, the absolute filth and lack of space and enrichment is all really normal for pig farms.
“I also saw pigs that should have been shot weeks ago... there’s either a complete lack of care or laziness.
“Then on the other end, you’ve got 14,000 pigs a week dying on Irish farms.”
Dr Brough added: “I am also deeply concerned about the human health aspects and the pandemic risk of pig farms.
“They are absolutely filthy, they’ve got thousands of animals with depressed immune systems living in their own waste and carrying lots of bugs and lots of pathogens that we can catch. Because of the level of disease and how they are kept, the amount of pharmaceutical support like antibiotics [that’s needed] is phenomenal.
“Antimicrobial resistance is a real threat, it’s terrifying because the
rate of human resistance has rocketed in recent years. Then of course there’s the environmental angle and the impact of animal agriculture.”
DAFM has been contacted comment.
A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture said: “The Department takes any allegations of breaches of
for animal welfare regulations extremely seriously.
“In relation to the alleged breaches of the pig welfare requirements raised by Animal Rebellion Ireland and The National Animal Rights Association in their recent press release, we will investigate these following receipt of any evidence, and take appropriate action where non-compliance or poor welfare is identified.”