Meet the Local Activists Comforting Animals on Their Way to Slaughter All Over the UK

From Cornwall to Cardiff and Suffolk to Solihull, a new grassroots movement across the UK is bringing the industrial killing machine into plain sight.

Thousands of animals are killed every day in the UK. Pigs, chickens, sheep, ducks, and cows are pushed onto lorries or thrown into crates, driven across the country, and herded into slaughterhouses where they’ll be killed with gas or their throats will be slit.

We all know that this is happening, but most of us have never been inside an abattoir and don’t even know where these killing factories are located. After all, it can be easier to avoid thinking about this daily massacre of sensitive living beings than to do something about it. And there’s a reason why slaughter usually happens out of sight. The meat industry knows that if most people actually saw animals being killed, they’d want it to stop.

That’s where the “Save” movement steps in. Local activist groups are getting together to visit abattoirs in their area. When a truck full of animals pulls up, they soothe and offer comfort to exhausted and frightened pigs and chickens in their final hours of life. They can’t stop what’s about to happen to these animals, but they can bear witness, document it, and acknowledge the senseless loss of life.

Here are Manchester Pig Save and Liverpool Pig Save in action:

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialPETAUK/videos/1201921796522592

The movement originated in Canada with Toronto Pig Save, a group cofounded by activist Anita Krajnc, who is currently standing trial for the simple act of offering water to thirsty, dehydrated pigs who were en route to slaughter.

This work is brave, heart-breaking, and important. Bringing slaughter facilities out into the open, and into public awareness, is helping more people think about where their food comes from. It’s spreading the compassionate vegan message – and as a result, it’s saving lives.

Get Involved

• Find a local Save group and help comfort animals on their way to slaughter. Here’s a list of all the groups worldwide. If there isn’t a group near you, check out this guide to starting your own.
• Share footage from groups like Manchester Pig Save to help more people understand the suffering behind meat.
• Make sure that you’re not supporting the industry that kills animals in this way – choose a cruelty-free vegan lifestyle. You can order a free starter kit below. If you’re already vegan, give one to a friend who still eats meat.

Vegan Starter Kit