MPI confirms: pig cruelty is 100% legal

Animal activists are demanding changes to pig law. This comes after the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) released a statement announcing that the footage that shocked a nation earlier this year is “insufficient evidence” of animal welfare offences. No prosecutions will take place.

“It is clear that animal welfare laws are inadequate when footage of absolutely horrific conditions and obvious animal abuse is deemed insufficient evidence of an offence,” says SAFE executive director Hans Kriek. “MPI is responsible for looking after the nation’s farm animals. If they consider this abuse insufficient evidence, then surely they must realise that the law is an ass and needs changing.”

The MPI investigation focused on a farm in Christchurch, where a sow was kept in a farrowing crate so tight her newborn piglets were squashed to death. Other pigs were kept in overcrowded fattening pens with dozens of rats running over them. A farm in Kumeu was also investigated after farm workers were filmed physically abusing the animals, including bashing a sow to death with a hammer over a prolonged period of time. Both farms have been cleared by MPI.

“Here we have animals clearly suffering. If the powers that be at MPI cannot do anything, then they should not be in charge of animal welfare. I wish we could say that we are surprised with the outcome of MPI's investigation," says Mr Kriek. "It is appalling that standards are so low that even farms with horrific conditions are approved by MPI. The public are disgusted at this ongoing cruelty and are demanding a ban on all factory farming practices."

SAFE is calling for immediate changes to the law that will see an end to cruel factory farming practices. Cruelty that is currently legal includes keeping pigs in crates so small they cannot turn around, for five weeks at a time, and keeping piglets in barren concrete pens.

ENDS

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