Stop Illegal Animal Abuse On Factory Farms

Stop illegal animal abuse on UK farms — Photo: Animal Equality / Aitor Garmendia

Over an 11 year period, Animal Equality UK has investigated 50 farms and slaughterhouses, finding prolonged animal suffering, deliberate abuse or neglect, and/or illegality taking place every single time. Animal Equality’s evidentiary footage, spanning over a decade, is a growing indictment of this failing industry.

The Government must work with Animal Equality to put in place critical changes to the legal framework, including the following:

Implement a licensing system for farms;
Breaches of licences will result in non renewal and prosecution;
Inspections required for licence renewal which will be at least every 1-3 years, depending on the farm’s size;
Those inspections must be robust and occasionally unannounced;
Appropriate penalties for all farms found not complying with their licences and the law.

Laws are broken time and time again. On every pig farm Animal Equality UK has ever visited pigs have been routinely tail-docked; over a six year period we visited four dairy farms and on each we found severe animal suffering and illegality; and in a sheep slaughterhouse we discovered a Food Standards Agency inspector giving their nod of approval for clear non-compliance. Our investigators have looked into facilities accredited by Red Tractor, Quality Meat Scotland, Best Aquaculture Practices, The Soil Association and more, documenting illegality across the board.

This doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface. With over 300,000 facilities in the UK, it is not possible for Animal Equality to visit every single facility. How many animals will suffer the same cruelty behind closed doors?

The public puts its faith in accreditation schemes, awards and Government and local authorities, but consumers are being conned.

Public body inspections are few and far between. With fewer than 3% of farms being inspected each year, crimes to farmed animals are rarely detected.

Non-compliance is rife. Where inspections do occur, 31% identify non-compliance with animal welfare regulations and inspectors directly observe animals suffering ‘unnecessarily’ in one in 30 visits to uncertified farms.

Consequences are all but non-existent. When wrongdoing is detected it is too often left to the charities to apply the necessary pressure and ensure action is taken. Between 2017-2019 there were 80 convictions of cruelty to farmed animals under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, compared to 2,662 for dogs. Considering that over one billion animals are farmed and slaughtered each year in the UK, this number of convictions is extremely low. This lack of action is failing to disincentivise legal violations on farms.

The Government and local authorities must end their overreliance on charities, take ownership, and hold animal abusers accountable for their actions. The current regulatory framework is a wholly inadequate safeguard to ensure legal compliance. It is simply not fit for purpose. Already vulnerable farmed animals are being left at the whims of an industry that wants only to commoditise them.

We, the undersigned, are calling for improved monitoring and enforcement of existing animal welfare laws and for increased legal protections to be put in place for farmed land and aquatic animals.

Demand the Government holds companies responsible for animal accountable – SIGN NOW!

Read the petition

What’s Happening To Animals On UK Farms?

Piglet teeth clipping illegal animal abuse UK — Piglets scream as their tails are cut off and their teeth clipped without anaesthetic. Instead of giving them more space or something to occupy their intelligent minds farmers do this to prevent pigs from biting each other out of stress and boredom caused by cramped conditions. The law says this can’t be done routinely (unless a vet approves it). But with almost no inspections, it happens every single day.

Lame dairy cow farm animal abuse UK — Piglets scream as their tails are cut off and their teeth clipped without anaesthetic. Instead of giving them more space or something to occupy their intelligent minds farmers do this to prevent pigs from biting each other out of stress and boredom caused by cramped conditions. The law says this can’t be done routinely (unless a vet approves it). But with almost no inspections, it happens every single day.

THE SOLUTION

While more and more people move away from consuming animal products entirely, we must help those trapped in the system. Farms and slaughterhouses in the UK currently do not require any form of registration or licensing to operate. This clear oversight leaves animals vulnerable to further exploitation and illegal abuse and neglect.

With an over-reliance on farm-funded accreditation schemes like Red Tractor, over 95% of farms go without a regulatory inspection each year. When wrongdoing is found, animal abusers often receive little more than a written caution.

We’re demanding that the Government:

Inspect farms regularly and more unannounced inspections
Investigate complaints for animal cruelty
Prosecute companies committing crimes
Establish a robust registration and licensing system in all UK farms.

Help us protect the animals trapped in this cruel system.

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Why your signature matters

Your voice creates change

When we delivered over 100,000 signatures to the Prime Minister at Downing Street, politicians listened. When we organised a Parliamentary briefing MPs and experts attended. The media covered our work, bringing the attention of millions.

Animal Equality delivers signatures to downing street to demand better protections for farmed animals

But for the Government to act, we need to increase the pressure. With more signatures we can create even more pressure that will translate into more protection for animals.

Every name on this petition shows decision-makers that the public demands real consequences for animal abusers. Translate your voice into action today.

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Protect animals every day

While we fight for protection and accountability in factory farms, you can help animals with every meal. Each plant-based choice saves animals from suffering.

You can join millions of people who have already started their plant-based journey.

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