Case Study: Animal Equality
Our series of case studies will explore why The Animal Law Foundation is so desperately needed.
Introduction
At Animal Equality UK we primarily work in defence of farmed animals and we’re most known for our undercover investigations inside factory farms and slaughterhouses.
It’s in large part thanks to these investigations that I’ve come to know Edie very well over recent years.
Animal Equality has filmed inside nearly 50 farms and slaughterhouses across the UK, uncovering disturbing findings along the way. We’ve obtained evidence of pigs being jabbed with pitchforks, newborn calves being slapped and force-fed, and sheep getting caught in slaughterhouse equipment.
And, as no doubt you can imagine, the animal agriculture industry doesn’t typically take a liking to what we do, since we’re showing the harsh realities of what really goes on behind closed doors.
Advocates for Animals
That means we have to tread pretty carefully when we’re publicly disclosing our findings and also submitting official complaints to the authorities, and that’s where Edie comes in.
Over the past few years our organisation has worked closely with Advocates for Animals – the sister organisation to the newly-formed Animal Law Foundation – and over time together we began to notice two clearly patterns emerging from these investigations. Firstly, an endemic of non-compliance within these facilities, and secondly, an apparent reluctance amongst authorities to use the full force of the law.
Some of the cases did result in successful prosecutions, likely in large part due to the extensive media coverage and public outrage, but I’m sad to say that in the majority of cases we saw little to no meaningful enforcement action at all, despite our persistence and best efforts.
The Animal Law Foundation
We desperately need to build a better legal framework for animals. That’s why The Animal Law Foundation is such an important and necessary organisation.
With their legal know-how, close connections with charities like ours, and network of lawyers who can bring about challenges, this new organisation has the potential to impact millions of animals every single year. I for one am very pleased to see it come to fruition.
The Enforcement Problem
I’m also privileged to say that the first initiative to come out of The Animal Law Foundation is a joint report in collaboration with Animal Equality looking into ‘The Enforcement Problem’.
In November 2022 we released our report via the Guardian, which we then presented in Parliament, and our findings would alarm any consumer.
For example, we discovered that:
Fewer than 3% of UK farms are inspected on average, annually
Fewer than 1% of complaints lead to prosecutions, on average
There is just one inspector in place for every 205 farms
Just half of initial complaints to a regulatory body lead to a formal inspection
We also analysed 65 covert investigations and found that nearly three-quarters resulted in no subsequent formal enforcement action.
Now, I know that’s a lot of information, but the crux of the issue is that justice is not being served when laws are being flouted.
And thanks to Edie’s visionary leadership and strategic plans in place, I’m hopeful that The Animal Law Foundation can play an important role in helping to tackle this issue and stop the Enforcement Problem in its tracks. I look forward to seeing the organisation further grow and flourish in time.
Abigail Penny
Executive Director
Animal Equality UK
