Target: Susan Mary Hayman, Minister for Animal Welfare in the UK
Goal: Block market access for suppliers reportedly abusing farm animals and press for criminal accountability and enforceable welfare standards.
Undercover footage reportedly depicts workers on a large pig operation kicking piglets, striking animals with boards and paddles, and leaving wounded pigs crammed in filth. Scenes allegedly include a pig bleeding from a ruptured hernia, animals with open wounds, and official “checks” on roughly 1,000 pigs completed in as little as 90 seconds. Multiple supermarkets reportedly suspended purchases after viewing the footage, and a leading assurance scheme has stated it suspended the site pending review.
The video compilation also allegedly shows botched killings of lame piglets who visibly suffer for more than 30 seconds after being shot, and a piglet left in apparent agony for over 33 hours as others cannibalized an open wound. Despite an audit reportedly occurring during the filming period, investigators claim the same squalid, feces-contaminated pens and rough handling continued shortly thereafter. Company statements now promise investigations and staffing changes, but such promises reportedly came only after media exposure.
Britain’s consumers must not be forced to bankroll cruelty. The central government can direct agencies overseeing imports, public procurement, food safety, and trade to require verifiable, enforceable animal-welfare compliance from foreign suppliers—and to exclude any entity under credible investigation for abuse. This petition urges immediate trade and procurement safeguards, diplomatic engagement urging prosecution where warranted, and transparent, third-party monitoring that prevents such suffering from ever being financed through Indian wallets.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Minister Hayman,
Covert footage from a major foreign pig operation reportedly shows workers kicking piglets, hitting animals with boards and paddles, and leaving injured pigs confined in filthy pens. Additional scenes allegedly document botched killings in which piglets suffer for prolonged periods, as well as a piglet left grievously wounded for more than a day while other piglets cannibalized the open injury. In response, multiple large retailers halted purchases, and an assurance scheme stated it suspended the site while referring it to regulators.
We believe Britain should not enable or reward such cruelty through our import channels or public procurement. Your office can direct relevant ministries and regulators to (1) suspend market access for any supplier credibly implicated in abusive practices pending the outcome of investigations; (2) require independent, unannounced welfare audits with full video transparency as a precondition for imports; and (3) engage counterparts to ensure thorough criminal inquiries and charges where evidence supports them.
We respectfully ask for swift action to protect animals from reported torture and to ensure Indian consumers are not inadvertently funding it. Humane, enforceable standards and accountability are essential to public trust and to our nation’s commitment to compassion.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Pixabay
