Shocking revelations about animal cruelty at Cross Farm in England

Footage released by Animal Equality and award-winning photographer Aitor Garmendia has exposed disturbing practices at Cross Farm, a pig farm in Devon that supplies meat to Tesco. Owned by WJ Watkins and Son, the farm confines around 12,000 pigs in conditions that involve both legal and illegal abuse.

Pregnant sows and sows are kept in farrowing crates, small cages that severely restrict their movement. Over six visits from October 2023 to June 2024, more than 100 hours of footage revealed the appalling treatment of piglets, including being killed by slamming them into concrete walls, having their tails docked, and having their teeth clipped without anesthesia. Dead piglets were found throughout the farm, many of which had died from starvation, disease, or being crushed.

The footage also showed severe psychological distress among sows, indicated by repetitive behaviors such as biting the bars. Many sows suffered from untreated wounds and sores, and the stalls were filthy and covered in cobwebs and dust.

Abigail Penny, executive director of Animal Equality UK, expressed her horror after witnessing the conditions first-hand, saying the pain in the pigs’ eyes was unforgettable.

Despite winning National Pig Awards in 2016 and 2017 and having one of its directors up for a seat on the National Pig Association, Cross Farm has a history of poor practices. Previous investigations have revealed similar conditions, including pigs living in waste and suffering from untreated hernias.

In March 2024, Glass Wall Films also documented extreme neglect and cruelty at Cross Farm. This led Animal Equality to enlist Advocates for Animals to file a formal complaint with Trading Standards, citing potential legal breaches regarding the treatment of piglets, management of injuries and general hygiene conditions.

Animal welfare experts, including Dr Alice Brough and Eva Read, stress that the conditions at Cross Farm are not isolated incidents, but indicative of wider problems in the industry. They are calling for stronger enforcement of animal welfare laws and greater transparency in farming practices.

Animal Equality and The Animal Law Foundation have previously highlighted the lack of regulatory oversight in the UK, with less than 3% of farms inspected annually and a negligible proportion of complaints resulting in prosecution.

Abigail Penny urges consumers to reconsider their support for such practices and consider plant-based alternatives. To join the cause against cruelty at Cross Farm, sign the petition on Animal Equality UK’s campaign page.

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