21 July 2008
 
 
Pig farmers wallow in five-star comfort while their pigs suffer 24/7

Pig farmers attending an annual pork conference are today accused of enjoying luxury five-star accommodation while their pigs to suffer inside small crates or concrete pens. Many of the 700,000 pigs reared in New Zealand are deprived of space and bedding and are forced to lie in faecal matter their entire lives.
 
In protest, three ‘little pigs’ will bed down in a cosy luxurious bed outside the Crowne Plaza hotel in Christchurch at 8.30am today to send a stern message to pig farmers that pigs also deserve comfort, proper bedding materials and space to roam.
 
Hans Kriek, campaign director of the national animal advocacy group SAFE, says the contrast between the farmers’ lodgings and those of their factory farmed pigs could not be any greater.
 
“Pig farmers attending the annual New Zealand Pork conference in Christchurch today will enjoy the opportunity to stretch their legs between sessions, savour delicious food and sleep in five-star accommodation. It’s a far cry from how they treat their pigs,” says Hans Kriek.
 
“Factory farmed sows are driven insane due to severe confinement and deprivation. Their young piglets are taken away at only four weeks of age and fattened inside barren concrete pens where out of frustration they sometimes cannibalise each other,” says Mr Kriek.
 
“This is an industry that treats its animals harshly and cruelly. The conference is focused on how to increase profits rather than on animal welfare. Today, we remind the industry that pigs are not machines and will release new footage that proves pigs in New Zealand suffer.”
 
The three ‘little pigs’ will be outside the Crowne Plaza from 8.30am on Monday 21 July (corner of Durham Street North and Kilmore Streets).
 
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