On November 16, the BC SPCA received a letter by email from Animal Justice stating the organization had received anonymous video footage back in August which was allegedly filmed on the Excelsior Hog Farm in Abbotsford between April and June 2023. In the letter to the BC SPCA, Animal Justice summarizes parts of the raw video footage in writing, suggesting the videos depict violations of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act and the Criminal Code, and links to a clip currently available on the Animal Justice website. At this time, the BC SPCA has not yet received the raw video footage from Animal Justice.
The BC SPCA has reviewed the publicly available footage which contains very disturbing visuals appearing to depict violations of the PCA Act, the Criminal Code and seemingly showcases practices that are not in accordance with National Farm Animal Codes of Practice, which are fully endorsed by BC Pork Council for use on pig farms across the province. The video clip appears to include images of pigs with injuries and abrasions, the use of metal rods on pigs’ faces, and unsanitary conditions which include dead piglets in the same spaces as live animals — all of which, if accurate, would constitute unlawful activity and/or practices falling below the standards of care required for pig producers by its own industry.
Animal Justice has indicated the full, raw video footage will be provided to the BC SPCA imminently. Until we have had an opportunity to review the footage in full, we cannot provide additional comments and will also need to prioritize the integrity of the investigation.
While the BC SPCA has authority to conduct investigations on farms using authority granted under the PCA Act, pro-actively auditing more than 5,000 commercial farms in British Columbia far extends past the scope of the non-profit organization. Knowing this, the BC SPCA continues to advocate for video surveillance in slaughter facilities and a third-party auditing system on farms as a critical way to ensure good animal welfare in these facilities.