Story By: Georgina Jadikovska, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
Hidden surveillance cameras inside a pig breeding facility have revealed disturbing images of animal cruelty, as employees engage in inhumane and illegal castration of small piglets.
The Association against Animal Factories (VGT.at) from the city of Vienna in Austria revealed footage of senseless and illegal castration of piglets in a breeding factory located in the north of the Austrian state of Burgenland.
The video recordings show tail docking, teeth clipping and brutal castration of piglets without anesthesia, which is according to welfare regulations is mandatory when completing such operations.
In addition, in order to compensate for the lack of anesthesia, employees give the small pigs mildly effective pain medications, however later than required as the drugs must be given 15 minutes before the procedures.
Nonetheless, in the videos, the few-days-old piglets are injected with the agent immediately before castration, which according to VGT.at activists is extremely painful.
The video includes additional footage showcasing animal cruelty ,as breeding pigs appear locked in extremely small sow stalls, which according to the breeding facility is due to a diarrheal disease.
However, the VGT.at rejected the excuse and claimed that illnesses are not legally legitimate reasons for keeping sows in stalls, since sick or injured animals should be separated and placed in sick bays.
VGT Campaign Manager David Richter said during demonstrations held on 7th July: “Based on the recordings we have, we assume that it is not possible that the facility keeps female breeding pigs in accordance with the law. The areas behind the crate rows are too small for that – the group crates are filled with young pigs.”
Heidi Lacroix from VGT demanded justice for the small piglets and said during the protest: “The treatment of these piglets is illegal and absolutely gruesome. We, 20 animal rights activists from VGT, are protesting in front of the animal factory today and demand an immediate shut down of the farm.”
Richter later questioned the legitimacy of the facility by saying: “As a member of the Animal Health Service, this company was subject to more precise controls – how can it be that this multitude of offences apparently remained undetected and unpunished?
He argued that instead of a concrete floor, the breeding farm should have provided a fully slatted-floor for the animals and said: “Once again it becomes clear that this system suffers from all corners and ends. And once again it becomes clear how important animal welfare exposures are.”
The Association against Animal Factories (VGT) filed a complaint against the pig farm at the Mattersburg District Court and the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
