The Truth Behind ‘High-Welfare’ and ‘Free-Range’ Labels: ‘Game of Thrones’ Star Jerome Flynn Exposes Horror of British Farms
During Veganuary, Game of Thrones star Jerome Flynn joined forces with PETA to highlight the horrors of the British farming industry and expose misleading labels like “high welfare” and “free-range”.
Thank you to Viva! and Animal Aid who kindly provided footage of their investigations for this video.
Jerome explains that although British farmers would like us to imagine animals living in green pastures and quaint barnyards, the reality is far from idyllic:
“Virtually none of the intelligent, sensitive animals raised for food in Britain or overseas will ever be allowed to breathe fresh air, feel the warmth of sun on their backs, root in the soil, peck around in the grass, or do anything else that would make their lives natural or worth living at all.”
Instead, pigs, cows, sheep, chickens, and other animals raised for their flesh, milk, or eggs – even on so-called “high-welfare” farms – are often locked inside dark, dirty sheds, where they suffer from illnesses and injuries resulting from abuse and neglect. Their lives are a far cry from the “ethical” choice that consumers believe they’re making.
Investigations of “high-welfare” UK farms have revealed that animals are typically mutilated without painkillers, artificially inseminated, kept in intense confinement, and separated from their beloved offspring, and they may be transported to the abattoir in the freezing cold or suffocating heat. There, they’re hung upside down and their throats are cut, often in full view of one another, sometimes while they’re still conscious and struggling to escape.
Jerome also shared his journey to becoming vegan in an exclusive video interview with PETA:
There’s no way to rear and kill animals “ethically”. The labels that we see stuck on dead animals’ flesh, milk, or eggs in supermarkets don’t prevent them from being exploited, abused, and slaughtered in horrific ways. That’s why it’s no surprise that more and more people – including Jerome, his former co-star Peter Dinklage, actor Alan Cumming, boxer David Haye, and musician Morrissey – are embracing vegan eating.
What You Can Do
The best way to help animals is to stop paying for their exploitation by ditching meat, eggs, and dairy “products”. Take our 30-day vegan pledge today, and order our free vegan starter kit, which is full of tips and recipes to help you make the switch.
