''Pigs are highly intelligent, social animals, with deep-seated needs to forage, explore their environments, and engage
in normal social interactions with other pigs. Prolonged denial of these needs results in chronic stress.
Repetitive bar-biting behaviour was evident in some of these pigs.
Workers were repeatedly seen hitting, kicking and verbally abusing pigs. Their attacks with metal pipes were seen to cause injury and, in some cases, death. In one case the snout of a pig was clearly bloodied after being struck many times by a metal pipe.
The sows were confined, sometimes with piglets, within farrowing crates so small the sows often appeared unable to turn around, or, indeed, to move much at all. New-born piglets were observed struggling to breathe, and dying.
A range of seriously ill and injured pigs were seen, including pigs with open wounds, large ulcerated tumours, severe rectal prolapses, pigs with possible fractures and severe difficulty or inability to walk."
“Pigs are very intelligent, highly social, and deeply emotional animals. They display many different personalities. There's even scientific research that shows that pigs can be optimists or pessimists depending on whether they live in enriched environments or places where there's continuous stress and suffering. Pigs are sentient beings who are capable of suffering incredible pain.
Few people really know about the horrific treatment of the food they casually put in their mouth. The words we use to refer to other animals often distance us from who they really are. Dead pigs are called ham, bacon, and sausage and dead cows become meat, steaks, and hamburgers. They're wrapped in packages that make it impossible to know who they used to be.
Most people don't know the plight of the animals who they eat. We must remember that when an animal is on a plate it's a matter of who's for dinner, not what's for dinner, as food animals are formerly sentient beings who were unnecessarily tortured and killed for our palette.”
“Animal Equality is well-respected internationally as an effective and principled organization that takes seriously the rights of all animals and presents a reasonable and compassionate alternative to the exploitation of other beings by promoting an abolitionist and vegan perspective. No sensitive, serious person can fail to be moved by the organization’s photographic and video records of the suffering we inflict on other animals, typically for trivial reasons.
When it is clear that a vegan diet can provide ample nutrition and variety, then it is plainly unethical to kill animals just to satisfy a desire to taste their flesh. Animal Equality's recent investigation of the UK pig industry exposes some of the abuse and neglect inflicted on the animals imprisoned on farms and is convincing evidence that these squalid institutions should be closed forever and remembered only as relics of barbarism.”
“As a biologist specializing in animal behavior and sentience, I have yet to encounter any compelling scientific evidence that pigs suffer pain and distress any less than humans do. Furthermore, pigs are intelligent, opportunistic and curious. Published scientific studies show that pigs are easily bored, and quick to learn new tasks such how to use a mirror. In automated feed operations, pigs have learned to pick up the radio-collar of another pig that has dropped off and use it to gain access to the food supply. Pigs with a normal existence including access to the outdoors express happy dispositions. They are curious and playful.
The images I witnessed from this investigation depict animals caught up in a miserable, cruel, painful existence. It would appear that from the time of their birth they are handled brutally, sometimes cruelly. Their mothers endure one of the worst cruelties of factory farming: gestation crates. I saw no sign of compassion or concern from the workers depicted in these scenes, and no sign that the animals in their care were viewed as thinking, emotional, vulnerable beings. Anyone who buys meat from pigs raised in Britain should take a hard, long look at what cruelties they may be funding when they do this.”
“Well, that was distinctly unpleasant minutes I passed watching your footage. Of course, for the animals it was much much worse. It is almost impossible for humans to understand the suffering that lies behind the footage you took. It is like trying to get a grip on human torture: unless you have been tortured, you cannot possibly know what it is like.
Similarly with these pigs: the amount of suffering they have to endure is unimaginable for us. To think there are people who stand by in indifference while this goes on is a dark stain on our species. What has gotten into us? How can we inflict this degree of suffering on a sentient, sociable, intelligent, emotional creature like a pig? It makes no sense. Only greed explains it, but greed of a particularly soulless kind. To watch these animals cry out in pain and not do anything to stop it is a crime. I am sorry I had to watch this. I am even more sorry for the animals who have to endure it."
"Animals can suffer pain and distress like us. They deserve our respect. Speciesism is no better than racism or sexism."
“I am a man of words, but yet when I see the images of animal cruelty obtained by Animal Equality I am lost for words.
I just find it so hard to believe that people still treat animals with such cruelty. I have the greatest respect for the work that Animal Equality does. They are the true modern day anti-slavery, anti-brutality and peace movement. I am with them. They have done some ground-breaking work overseas and now that they in the UK, I urge you to support them.”
“Please take a moment to watch this eye-opening video on the reality of life for pigs in the UK. The British Pork industry would rather keep this exposé hidden, but the lives of thousands of sensitive, intelligent animals depend on compassionate people like seeing this footage and taking action. Please leave bacon, pork – and in fact all animal products – off your plates. Going vegan is the best decision I've ever made; I hope you'll join me in making the same ethical, healthy choice.”