The plight of ‘Lucy’ provides a wake-up call for Australians

23 July 2008

The voice of a little girl has been heard across Australian airwaves over the past week awakening Australians to the shocking reality faced by factory farmed pigs in this country.

"The barriers protecting the pig industry from public scrutiny are so high that a unique and hard-hitting approach (http://www.AnimalsAustralia.org/lucy_speaks) was needed to alert consumers to how the majority of pork, bacon and ham products on supermarket shelves have been produced,"

"The overwhelming response to these ads has been anger at how this could be allowed to happen in Australia; gratitude to Animals Australia for revealing the truth; and a flood of public donations to keep these ads on air," said Glenys Oogjes, Executive Director of Animals Australia.

Listeners around Australia have heard the voice of a young child 'Lucy' talking about the suffering she is enduring—before realising at the end of the commercial that 'Lucy' is a pig, describing the life endured by thousands of breeding pigs in factory farms in this country. Listeners are asked to 'Help end the horrific practices of the Australian pork industry'."

"Describing a breeding sow's life in a factory farm through the eyes of a child is completely relevant when you realise that pigs have a similar level of intelligence to a 3 year old child," said Animals Australia Executive Director Glenys Oogjes.

"Conducting surgical procedures on piglets without any pain relief is horrific; caging living beings so severely that they can only take a step forward or back is horrific; and it is equally horrific that through exemptions provided by government, those inflicting this suffering cannot be prosecuted for cruelty."

"The shock tactics were not only justified but necessary when you consider that currently millions of Australians who care about animal welfare are unwittingly supporting animal cruelty by purchasing factory farmed products."

"Despite being intelligent, despite having the same ability to suffer as the family dog or cat, pigs have been abandoned by law makers, whilst industry operators rest easily knowing that the suffering that occurs within the walls of their factory farms are well hidden from Australian consumers."

"Most Australians would not knowingly support animal cruelty. This campaign is about giving Australian consumers the chance to make informed choices, and to cast a vote with their purchasing power against animal cruelty."

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