The images are terrible: pigs live in appalling conditions in a “model farm” in Bildstein in Vorarlberg – without sufficient light for the piglets, on high dung heaps and without any employment. The VGT association against animal factories has brought the misery to light and filed a report under the Animal Welfare Act.
The farm is located in an idyllic landscape overlooking Lake Constance. Even the little old stable looks romantic. But appearances are deceiving. Behind the walls, Duroc piglets live in the worst conditions. The VGT denounces that the animals in their “prison” have to stand on a manure pile that is almost a meter high.
Pigs wade in feces and urine
A number of piglets live in the furthest corner of the old barn and hardly any daylight enters. Moreover – as can be seen from photos of the VGT – just like their older peers, they do not have a dry lying surface, as is actually required by law. Some larger pigs have to settle for a substrate of faeces and urine in which they walk around day in and day out.
They use a sheet metal tunnel as a shelter. With the current temperatures, it is unbearably hot and the animal rights activists no longer understand the world. According to the VGT, Duroc pigs are very playful, social animals with a great urge to move. They are also very fond of humans. The activists criticize that there is nothing to see from activity material in the yard far and wide.
Animal rights activists outraged
David Richter, VGT chairman and pig expert, is shocked by the misery: “These are conditions that you would no longer expect in Vorarlberg! Anyone who sees the pigs in the mud will probably lose their taste for the schnitzel or bacon!” Vorarlberg VGT activist Sandy P. Peng takes the state to account: “It is the task of the state to ensure that animal protection regulations are followed.”
The pigs may have been kept in these “degrading and appalling conditions” for years. The VGT has filed a report – based on the Animal Welfare Act and because of suspected environmental pollution from a manure heap from which nitrate-containing faeces can seep underground.
Everything is fine on the outside
Of course, the farmer’s Facebook page shows nothing of the appalling conditions. On the contrary: livestock farming looks beautiful and is also described as such. Duroc pork isn’t the cheapest either. So you would think that animal welfare is easy to finance.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
