2 July 2014

Demonstrators Target NZ Pork Board Over Pig Cruelty

Following the recent exposé of cruelty on a pig farm, animal advocacy group SAFE will confront the New Zealand Pork Board tomorrow with a protest outside their head office in Wellington. SAFE will demand they take immediate steps to ban of the use of farrowing crates.

SAFE campaign officer Shanti Ahluwalia says nothing much has changed since they exposed similar conditions on factory pig farms five years ago. This led to a public outcry and pressure on the industry to make changes, including a ban on sow stalls. It also caused comedian and ex-Pork Board ambassador Mike King to turn his back on promoting pork after learning about the issues.

New footage from a farm, which carried the Pigcare Accreditation label, shows that pigs continue to suffer on factory pig farms. This particular farm was reported one year ago. The industry itself promised to monitor it. However, independent investigators found a sow in a farrowing crate so tight her newborn piglets were squashed to death with others dying next to their helpless mother. They also found more overcrowding of ‘fattening pigs’ with dozens of rats running over them. Some pigs had infected eyes and there was a dead pig.

“We are holding the New Zealand Pork Board accountable for animal cruelty and are calling on the public to boycott pork,” says Shanti Ahluwalia.

In New Zealand over 20,000 sows are confined in farrowing crates where they are unable even to turn around. These animals can suffer leg weakness and other health problems and often exhibit unnatural behaviour such as bar biting, indicating that they are under severe stress.

The public are invited to join SAFE at the protest and to also sign the petition atwww.safe.org.nz

Protest: 12pm on Thursday 3 July, outside the offices of the New Zealand Pork Industry Board, Orbit House, 94 Dixon St, Wellington 6011.

ENDS

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