RSPCA Assured investigators concluded that no animal welfare regulations were breached on a Norfolk farm, when concerns were raised by animal rights campaigners after drone footage showed pigs being shot.
The farm was the subject of a foot and mouth scare on June 23, however, following a Defra investigation, government vets ruled out the livestock infection the following day.
Nonetheless, the farm took the decision to cull the infected animals by shooting them – a method that remains in line with animal welfare standards and legislation.
But, when drone footage funded by green energy firm Ecotricity showed pigs, corralled into straw bale pens, being shot, animal rights campaigners claimed that it was ‘a blatant breach of animal welfare rules set to ensure animals die humanely’.
With that, the farm was temporarily suspended from the RSPCA Assured certification scheme while the event was investigated; it has now been reinstated after the farm was found to have taken the ‘appropriate steps’.
An RSPCA Assured spokesman told the Eastern Daily Press: “We take any allegations of poor welfare extremely seriously and always thoroughly look into them as standard practice. Our enquiry into these allegations has now concluded and we can confirm that they were not upheld, and the farm’s temporary suspension from the RSPCA Assured scheme has therefore been lifted.”
“We can verify that the cull was carried out on the advice of the government’s most senior vet, Defra, and under Animal Plant and Health Agency (APHA) jurisdiction. It was also completed under the supervision of WATOK (The Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing Regulations) certified personnel.”
He concluded: “We are satisfied that the farm took appropriate steps in line with expert advice and supervision from the relevant authorities and the RSPCA’s welfare standards, under extremely difficult circumstances.”