Shocking cruelty at a farm in Scotland was reported by an animal-rights organization.
Shocking cruelty at a farm in Scotland was reported by an animal-rights organization.
WARNING: GRAPHIC AND DISTRESSING CONTENT
Distressing footage filmed undercover at a British pig farm in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, shows a worker allegedly beating a pig to death with a hammer while claiming it is “as good as any bullet.”
The shocking scenes, which also show pigs with prolapsed insides, were allegedly filmed at P&G Sleigh Pig Unit in Aberdeenshire.
They also allegedly show workers throwing piglets they deem too small or weak to their death on the concrete floor.
The graphic footage shows sows suffering from vulvar tears and severe prolapses, allegedly after years of forced insemination, causing their uterus or internal organs to protrude.
It also shows several piglets that developed infections after their tails and teeth were allegedly removed with pliers and without anesthesia.
Pigs were filmed allegedly being forced to live among feces and stagnant water without access to a dry litter.
The video was shared by Madrid-based international animal-rights organization Igualdad Animal.
A press statement sent by the organization states that pigs from the farm are slaughtered at a nearby abattoir owned by food company Pilgrim’s Pride.
The American multinational supplies Lidl, Tesco, Marks & Spencer and other prominent supermarkets, as well as restaurants. It currently supplies around 25 percent of pork meat and around 33 percent of chicken meat consumed in the UK.
Pilgrim’s Pride is majority controlled by Brazilian multinational JBS, the largest meat -processing company in the world.
JBS has been hit by a number of recent scandals, including links to the destruction of the Amazon rainforest.
Igualdad Animal also states the scandal comes amid the Scottish government’s pledge to provide financial support to the pig industry.
The support is set to provide Scottish pig farmers with an additional $987,000 in funding to continue existing farming practices.
According to a report by The Times, Philip Sleigh, who owns the farm, was forced to resign from a public meat industry standards body. He had been appointed as a director by the Scottish government.
The report states that Sleigh helped to draw up welfare standards as chairman of the pigs standard setting committee of Quality Meat Scotland (QMS).
QMS has since removed Sleigh’s farm from its quality assurance scheme, and Tesco, Lidl and other retailers have since stopped sourcing meat from the unit.
Igualdad Animal has reported the footage to the Animal Plant and Health Agency and the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for investigation.
It has also launched an online petition to have the farm closed and those responsible for the abuse brought to justice.
(Edited by Fern Siegel and Judith Isacoff)
