Animal Rising U-turns on plans to ‘rescue’ over 100 animals from British farms
4th July 2024
A radical animal rights group, Animal Rising, now says it has no plans for a ‘mass open rescue’ from RSPCA Assured farms this summer.
An investigation carried out by the Daily Mail revealed that the campaigning group was planning to ‘mobilise and train’ more than 200 people to take part in the ‘huge open rescue’ at an undisclosed location later this year.
The newspaper added that Animal Rising leaders were organising secret in-person training across the country to teach people how to break onto farms and take animals.
However, the animal rights group appears to have cancelled its plans following a warning from the RSPCA.
The organisation said that these sort of ‘divisive stunts’ may frighten and ‘distress’ the animals and potentially ‘spread disease to animals on farms’.
King’s portrait targeted
Last month, Animal Rising activists targeted the official portrait of King Charles III.
Two people entered the Philip Mould gallery on 11th June and attached posters to the glass covering the painting.
One poster overlaid King Charles’ face with a picture of Wallace, while another was a speech bubble reading: ‘No cheese Gromit. Look at all this cruelty on RSPCA farms!’
The stunt was in response to an investigation of RSPCA Assured farms, carried out by Animal Rising.
No plans for mass-open rescue
A spokesperson for Animal Rising said that the group currently is not planning to carry out any ‘mass-open rescues’.
“This year, supporters of Animal Rising have rescued a pig, named Charlie, and a chicken, named Babs, from RSPCA Assured farms.
“This has helped put pressure on the RSPCA Assured Scheme, as we call for the RSPCA to drop the scheme and tell the truth about farming animals.
“Our decisions are guided by the most effective way of pushing the RSPCA to step up and start protecting animals, carrying out a mass-open rescue is – right now – not the next step.
“However, we would never rule out the future rescue of large amounts of animals from the horrors we’ve discovered inside RSPCA Assured farms,” they added.
Scrutiny welcomed
An RSPCA spokesperson said that the organisation “welcomes scrutiny of their work to improve the lives of millions of farm animals”, but they do not “condone illegal activity”.
They added: “Trespassing on farms and taking animals risks causing fear and distress to animals and potentially spreading disease to animals on farms and beyond.
“The growth of industrial farming is the biggest, and most difficult issue we must all tackle for the sake of our planet and the animals we share it with.
“Divisive stunts risk undermining the work we must collectively do to create a better world for every animal.”
Positive and significant impact on animals
Countryside Alliance, an organisation promoting issues relating to the countryside, commented on the news: “We’re pleased to see this criminal stunt be cancelled following investigations.
“It is bizarre that a group, which supposedly supports animal welfare would attempt to disrupt a scheme designed to ensure high animal welfare standards, and instead cause harm to animals by trespassing onto farms.”
A Countryside Alliance spokesperson added that there is no question that the RSPCA Assured scheme, which, in 2022, covered more than 24 million UK animals, has been a “success”.
“In 2021, an independent review of RSPCA Assured found it was making a ‘positive and significant impact on improving the lives of 136 million animals a year in the UK’.
“Clearly, given the vast bulk of the British public eat meat and dairy as part of their diet, this is an important scheme which provides a valued consideration for consumers,” they concluded.
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