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Needless suffering of Taiwan’s pigs

In response to shocking-undercover video footage depicting cruel practices at Taiwan's slaughterhouses, WSPA is calling on the Taiwanese government to enforce existing laws to protect animals in slaughterhouses.

The WSPA-funded footage was gathered by member society Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan (EAST) and shows scenes including a man repeatedly striking a pig with an iron bar before slitting its throat while fully conscious.

WSPA Farm Welfare Manager Amy Firth said, “The suffering shown in this video is cruel, illegal and completely unnecessary. Taiwan has Codes of Practice governing the slaughter of farm animals, and the government should help end the suffering once and for all by enforcing these codes.”

WSPA has released a film of the footage on our website, and due to EAST's efforts, the issue has received national media and political attention in Taiwan.

Despite earlier improvements, slaughterhouses revert to inhumane methods
  
In 2000, EAST launched an earlier investigation into the Taiwanese slaughter industry. Footage from the 74 slaughter-lines visited revealed scenes that were shocking and sickening.

As a result, within just two months, the Taiwanese government responded by introducing Codes of Practice governing the slaughter of farm animals. This was followed by a succession of training workshops and significant investment from the government to ensure Taiwan‘s animals were slaughtered as humanely as possible.

However, in 2005 and 2006, EAST returned to the slaughterhouses to review the situation and found that without adequate government enforcement, a number of slaughterhouses had reverted back to inhumane practices.

“It would be a fitting honor in this Year of the Pig, for the government of Taiwan to now back up it's good intensions with rigorous enforcement action to end this cruelty to pigs,” added Amy Firth.



You can help pressure the Taiwanese government by sending a protest letter to top ranking government officials at our online campaigns page.

The page contains the protest letter and undercover footage for you to watch. You don‘t have to watch the footage, but please register your protest and forward the campaign to your friends.

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"WSPA is diligent about keeping its members informed about the impact of their contributions. In doing so, the organization provides an antidote to another kind of suffering. And that is the unspoken pain of those of us who are not in the trenches. We may not be in some distant African village vaccinating stray dogs or easing the fear of a terrified horse in Columbia, but we are WSPA supporters because of our profound love of animals. What we cannot do, these courageous people are doing for us, enabled and empowered by our contributions."
 
Virginia Fuller
WSPA supporter more than 25 years & lifelong animal advocate


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