Animal activists have been charged with aggravated trespass in their protest against using gas chambers to kill pigs which they claim is very cruel. In defence they say it is the people making lots of money out of animal abuse and suffering that should be charged and tried for animal cruelty. They argue that the authorities have arrested the wrong people.
In all, seven individuals were arrested when they broke into a pig slaughterhouse to protest against the use of carbon dioxide gas chambers. There are making a film as I understand it. Filmmaker Joey Carbstrong and four other men and two women were arrested.
The arrests occurred a couple of days after The Independent reported on secret footage at the slaughterhouse showing a worker there hitting pigs as he prepared to put them into the carbon dioxide gas chambers.
This particular abattoir supplies many supermarkets such as Marks & Spencer, Aldi, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons and Tesco.
Mr Carbstrong has made a documentary called “Pignorant”. The intention of the documentary is to highlight the fact that most pigs in the UK die in gas chambers. In fact, they’re used all over the world. Mr Carbstrong said:
“These disgusting torture chambers are currently operating all over the UK and the world. This is the horror that is legally allowed to take place, when animals don’t have rights protecting them. The pig industry doesn’t want people to know what is happening to millions of pigs inside UK abattoirs every year.”
And finally he added that, “The people that should be taken into police custody are the people making vast amounts of money out of animal abuse and suffering.”
Of course, all animal advocates, including myself, would strongly agree with him.
Separately, in the world of cats, gas chambers have almost been totally removed from American shelters as a means of euthanising unwanted rescue cats. There may be one or two left in the entire country. There was a lot of pressure to remove them as they are known to be cruel. The only way to euthanise rescue cats in shelters as using the conventional means namely drugs delivered by a veterinarian.
How intelligent are pigs?
Pigs are actually considered quite intelligent animals! Research suggests they may even be smarter than dogs. Here’s a quick rundown of their impressive cognitive abilities:
- Problem-solving and memory: Pigs can navigate mazes, remember complex tasks for months, and learn from experiences.
- Social skills: They are very social creatures, forming strong bonds with each other and even understanding human cues.
- Learning: Studies have shown pigs can play video games and manipulate joysticks to get rewards.
- Emotions: They experience a range of emotions, including happiness, fear, and anxiety.
Comparisons to human intelligence can be tricky, but some researchers suggest pigs might be on par with a 3-year-old child in terms of cognitive abilities.
The intelligence of pigs makes it all the more plausible to believe that they become very fearful of gas chambers and the whole experience before and during the death is highly stressful and distressing. Accordingly the process is cruel and this is animal cruelty as described under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
