On the 20th of December 2024, vegan wildlife TV presenter Chris Packham and former Green Party MP Caroline Lucas resigned as president and vice-president of the RSPCA, the oldest animal welfare charity in the UK, after the animal rights group Animal Rising released videos alleging animal cruelty at some of the abattoirs approved by the RSPCA-Assured scheme.
Although both roles are mostly honorary, these resignations follow others of similar significance. For instance, Sir Brian May, famous guitar player of the band Queen and strong animal advocate through his animal protection organisation Save Me, who in September resigned from his position as RSPCA vice-president due to the exposé of its RSPCA-Assured scheme’s failure to protect farmed animals from cruelty.
As a consequence of Animal Rising releasing footage on the 12th of December 2024 shot by hidden cameras at several RSPCA-approved slaughterhouses across England — showing sheeps, pigs, and cows being abused or incorrectly treated — the RSPCA suspended their certification of three of them.
In one abattoir investigated in Cornwall, an electric “cattle prod” appears to be used on a cow’s anus in an apparent breach of legal standards. Also, employees can be seen shouting and swearing at animals. According to Animal Rising, the incorrect stunning of animals before slaughter was commonplace in the facilities investigated, with one slaughterhouse stunning 85% of its pigs in this manner. In another, 96% of cows were prodded with an electric goad and 46% of cows showed signs of panic or escape behaviours.
The Animal Rising report released in December is the second in a series. It builds on its findings from 37 RSPCA-Assured farms, which uncovered widespread factory farming and industrial levels of animal cruelty.
In a statement, The RSPCA wrote about the recent resignations: “It is with sadness that we announce that Chris Packham and Caroline Lucas are stepping down as our President and Vice President at the end of our 200th anniversary year. They are both passionate advocates for animals and we are incredibly grateful for their support over many years. We thank them for everything they have done for the RSPCA and continue to do for animals. We agree on so many issues and have achieved so much together for animals including, campaigning against hunting with dogs, campaigning to end the badger cull, banning glue traps and snares, improving protection for wildlife, securing the Animal Sentience Act and Chris has been a staunch champion of our dedicated volunteers. We do however have differing views on how best to address the incredibly complex and difficult issue of farmed animal welfare and that is why they have stepped back from their roles.”
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