Canadian animal rights activist Anita Krajnc was recently charged with criminal mischief for feeding water to thirsty pigs on a tractor-trailer en route to a Toronto slaughterhouse. The incident was covered internationally and brought attention to the conflict between animal rights activists and livestock owners. While the pending case involves the legality of her actions, it also points to the deeper issue of the mistreatment of livestock, particularly pigs, in Canada.
Canada ranks seventh in the world for pork production, according to Statistics Canada. This translates to the annual slaughter of about 21 million pigs per year. Put into perspective, 2,400 pigs are slaughtered each hour of every day
Its consumption is just as popular. Pork and its derivatives such as bacon, ham, and sausage are a staple in many cuisines. A quick perusal through the cooking section in any bookstore reveals books dedicated exclusively to pork. Pigs are labeled as livestock, an animal whose primary purpose is to satisfy gastronomic desire.
But while pork is widely eaten, most urban consumers have rarely seen a pig, let alone interacted with one. Thus, their image of the pig is derived from the images, stories, and other secondary sources of information. A lack of exposure is compounded by the fact that pigs are a bête noire in the English language. They are associated with laziness, greed, and gluttony. It also goes without saying that it is an insult to call someone a pig.
Caricatured images of the animal, smiling and pink, appear on many edible items, subconsciously creating a paired conditioning between the animal and food. The only time the urban consumer comes into contact with the meat is in the grocery store, at which point the living animal is now a neatly packaged object in cellophane wrap.
Most pigs are raised on factory farms, an intensive operation where animals are kept in controlled indoor conditions to allow for higher densities of animals to be raised. The animals spend almost all their time in these indoor sheds and usually only experience the outdoors for the first time when they are transported for slaughter.
Until recently, most piglets born into these operations were castrated and tail-docked without the assistance of any pain relief. Female pigs, or sows, are kept in gestation crates so small that they can hardly turn or even move. They live in these crates continuously for four months until they give birth, and then are impregnated and placed in these crates yet again. Pigs, with an expected lifespan of about 15 years, are raised for about six months until they reach slaughter weight, and then they are killed.
Now replace the pig with the dog. In some parts of the world, dogs are viewed as livestock and routinely subjected to similar abuses endured by pigs. However, these actions evoke anger and condemnation. Why does this occur? Some point out that the dog’s treatment is unacceptable as it is an intelligent animal and thus undeserving of such cruelty. However, cognitive studies have demonstrated pigs are smarter than dogs and possess complex social behaviours.
The reason for this lies in the long-standing perception that different animals hold in society. Dogs are seen as pets and companion animals, so an ethic of care and responsibility is extended towards them. Pigs are seen only as a food source, and thus their mistreatment is seen as acceptable.
I want to challenge the perception of pigs as livestock objects and put them in a different light—as living sentient beings capable of pain and suffering. This can be done by noticing pigs have worked and continue to work in tandem with humans. In parts of Europe and even North America, domestic pigs are trained to sniff out and extract truffles. Owners of pet pigs describe their pet’s temperament as nuanced as that of any dog or cat.
The consequences of the public’s perception towards pigs are tremendous. They can result in the increased welfare for pigs and most importantly invoke a sense of compassion and a feeling of empathy towards them. Once the notion of the pig changes from that of livestock to sentient animal, the continued and sustained abuse harboured against them can end.
