'Free Olivia': Frequently Asked Questions

Do you know where Olivia is?

No, we don’t. The last piece of information we had regarding Olivia’s whereabouts came from the director of the piggery where Olivia was confined and assaulted. He informed us that Olivia had been moved from Midland Bacon to another farm and that the person who had taken her would not be using her for breeding but would be keeping her as a pet. We were supplied with two photos showing a sow with Olivia’s ear tag (who we believe was Olivia) outdoors in an unknown location. We have not been able to confirm her location and the director of Midland Bacon told us that the person who took her has signed an NDA and that even his wife doesn’t know where Olivia is. 

What has been done to find her?

Some of what has been done to find Olivia has to be kept private to protect investigators and to maximize our chances of finding her alive and well. What we can share is that, in the month since Olivia’s story was first shared our teams, helped by volunteers,  have:

• Seen Olivia’s story covered by the ABC, Herald Sun, 7 News, The Weekly Times  and various local and national media outlets. 
• Organised a peaceful protest outside of Midland Bacon where we spoke to Steve Crawford, the director of the piggery and received information that Olivia had been moved.
• Organised a petition which was signed by over 25,000 people from around the world.
• Contacted by phone and email: the RSPCA, the Victorian minister for Agriculture, the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action and other bodies recommended to us by the people we spoke to. Representatives from these departments have acknowledged to us that more should be done to protect Olivia but that the law is against her. 
• Sent out flyers directly to 1,785 addresses offering a $500 reward for information on her whereabouts as well as putting these flyers up in suburbs near to where she was last seen. 
• Extensively researched her potential whereabouts and done what we can to investigate places of interest. 

Has the farm been contacted to ask where Olivia is? 

Yes. Midland Bacon has been approached by a number of people requesting information on her whereabouts. As well as the interactions Farm Transparency Project has had with Midland Bacon’s director, Steve Crawford, the piggery has also been contacted by representatives from Peanuts Wellbeing Sanctuary who have shown their willingness to rescue Olivia in a discreet way. We have also been contacted by members of the public informing us that they have tried calling Steve Crawford and offering money in return for Olivia’s release but that all offers have been refused. Mr. Crawford himself informed one of these people that he had been offered $5000 for Olivia but had rejected this money.  

What is the latest update on Olivia's whereabouts?

We have not received any more information regarding her whereabouts or potential whereabouts since we were informed that she had been moved from Midland Bacon. We have not been able to verify this information. One of FTP’s directors has received threats of legal action from the piggery for our continued search for her location. 

Do you think Olivia has been killed? 

The simple answer is that we don’t know. It is possible but until we have evidence that this is the case we will continue to act under the assumption that Olivia is still alive. To do otherwise would be a disservice to her and what she has been through. 

What can I do to help find Olivia?

The best thing you can do is to continue to share Olivia’s story! There have been multiple news articles about her as well as update posts from Farm Transparency Project which have included details about what happened to her and what has been done to find her. Continuing to share these increases the chance that someone who knows something will come forward with information. It also keeps her story alive and makes sure the piggery knows we haven’t stopped looking. You can also contact the Victorian minister for Agriculture, Ros Spence by emailing  [email protected] or calling (03) 8377 4477 and asking what more can be done to  protect Olivia and other pigs like her. 

Do you think you will find Olivia?

We hope so but we also know that the chances of finding and freeing one sow from an industry that sees her as nothing but a commodity are slim. Regardless of the likelihood that we will be able to secure her release, we will continue to try our best. That’s what she, and all other pigs, deserve. 

What will you do if you can't find her?

No matter what, we will continue to do what we have always done, which is to reveal the reality of commercial animal farming to the public and, when we can, free as many animals as we can from cages, farms and slaughterhouses. We have already rescued one piglet in Olivia’s honour, a little boy named Odie who is now living safe and happy in an animal sanctuary where he will never be harmed, exploited or killed. 

Why hasn’t there been more updates on the Free Olivia campaign?

While we have done our best to keep people informed of any updates in the search for Olivia, Farm Transparency Project and Peanuts Wellbeing Sanctuary are both operated by small, busy teams who are working on a number of projects at any given time. While we have been blown away by the support shown by the community, individuals and organisations involved have also been saddened by a number of messages accusing us of letting Olivia down and of having given up. None of us have stopped searching for her and we continue to brainstorm new ways of finding her whereabouts and ensuring her freedom. We ask for patience and trust from supporters and, in return, we promise to always be transparent and open. 

We won’t stop fighting for Olivia and for all pigs like her.