Chris Packham and Caroline Lucas Resign from RSPCA Amidst Abattoir Cruelty Allegations

Wildlife television presenter Chris Packham and former Green Party Member of Parliament Caroline Lucas have resigned from their roles as president and vice-president, respectively, of the RSPCA. This follows accusations by an advocacy organization regarding animal cruelty at certain abattoirs on the charity’s approved roster. Animal Rising disseminated video recordings obtained from these establishments, gathered during its inquiry into the RSPCA’s “Assured Scheme.” This scheme is responsible for certifying farms, food producers, and food retailers that adhere to its defined animal welfare benchmarks. The RSPCA, in its statement, affirmed that it addresses claims of inadequate animal welfare “incredibly seriously”. The organization stated that assertions of its failure to take prompt action were “simply not true,” noting a substantial increase in unannounced inspections and the consideration of implementing bodyworn cameras and CCTV surveillance. In June, the RSPCA commissioned an independent assessment of 200 farms participating in its assurance program, which determined that the scheme was “operating effectively” in guaranteeing animal welfare at member farms. Nevertheless, Animal Rising’s latest inquiry highlighted four specific abattoirs where it reported that “experts found systemic animal cruelty.” The group’s investigators reportedly discovered that “in one slaughterhouse 85% of pigs were stunned incorrectly, leaving animals conscious during slaughter, and in another 96% of cows were prodded with an electric goad, a practice banned by the RSPCA, and 46% of cows showed clear signs of panic or escape behaviours. “There was also frequent verbal and physical abuse from workers, and animals watching in terror and panic as other animals were killed or stunned in front of them.” During an interview on Radio 4’s PM programme, Packham stated that he had “sadly and after much contemplation… resigned from the RSPCA”. Although acknowledging that the charity performs an “enormous amount of good work” throughout the UK, he asserted that “it is beleaguered with the Assured Scheme,” which he likened to a “millstone” for the organization. He further alleged that the charity was “propping up the meat industry” despite insufficient standards. “This year there have been quite serious transgressions on some of the farms they [the RSPCA] assure and most recently and most disturbingly at some abattoirs…” “When I saw the footage that had been collected from those establishments… I can’t speak it was so horrific.” “Obviously the society suspended those abattoirs immediately and launched an investigation, but launching investigations has been going on for some considerable time.” He further stated that he has advocated for changes to the assured schemes for an extended period but has “been unable to see the reforms I needed to see and as a consequence of that, I’ve come to a point where I can’t exact any more pressure in a useful way on the inside, I shall have to go to the outside”. In a prior statement published on Animal Rising’s website, Packham declared his intention to prioritize his “love for animals above all else” and to resign immediately, citing the “irrefutable evidence of abuse uncovered.” He criticized the RSPCA for implementing “no meaningful change” despite “years of… pushing for reform within the Assured Schemes.” He concluded, “I believe the charity has lost sight of its mandate to protect all animals from cruelty and suffering.” In a distinct declaration, Lucas stated: “The recent horrific revelations of abuse at RSPCA-approved slaughterhouses, filmed undercover by Animal Rising, were the final straw for me. “The systemic cruelty exposed was unbearable to witness. “While the RSPCA’s response was to suspend the implicated facilities and launch yet another investigation, they failed to confront the deeper flaws of the scheme itself. “This approach not only fails to uphold their own standards but also risks misleading the public and legitimising cruelty.” In a statement, the RSPCA responded: “We agree with Chris and Caroline on so many issues and have achieved so much together for animals but we differ on how best to address the incredibly complex and difficult issue of farmed animal welfare.” “We have discussed our work to drive up farmed animal welfare standards openly at length with them on many occasions and it is simply not true that we have not taken urgent action. “We took allegations of poor welfare incredibly seriously, launching an independent review of 200 farms which concluded that it was ‘operating effectively’ to improve animal welfare. “We are taking strong steps to improve oversight of welfare, implementing the recommendations in full including significantly increasing unannounced visits, and exploring technology such as bodyworn cameras and CCTV, supported by £2m of investment…” “There is currently little or no legal protection for farmed animals, and very little enforcement. No one else is doing this work; we are the only organisation setting and regularly monitoring animal welfare standards on farms. “We have pioneered change through RSPCA Assured, which has led to improvements throughout the industry including CCTV in slaughterhouses, banning barren battery cages for hens and sow stalls for pigs, giving salmon more space to swim and developing slower growing chicken breeds who have better quality of life.” The complete interview with Chris Packham will be broadcast on Saturday’s BBC Radio 4’s PM programme. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available for review.