Cumbijowa Piggery

Actual name of piggery unknown - Cumbijowa is the closest town. Exposed by Animal Liberation ACT in October 2013.

A sow was discovered at this piggery with severe maggot-infested prolapses pushing through both her anus and vagina. As a result she was unable to sit down, and kept pacing back and forth and rubbing up against the back of her cage. There was no evidence that the wounds were being treated.

Prolapses are a common symptom of modern pig farming in Australia. The muscles and organs become weak and overworked, are are pushed down out of the body, often as a result of the repeated forceful reimpregnation that is considered to be standard practice.

Upon receiving the footage (just a few hours after it was anonymously filmed, according to the timestamps), we immediately called the police and RSPCA to get veterinary help for her. Eventually a police officer went to inspect the piggery, but the owner was not home, so he left a note for the owner to call him back. When he did, the owner admitted that yes, there was a pig with the injuries described, but she had since been "destroyed". If the police had not been called there is no telling how long the pig would have been left in that condition.

Meanwhile, the RSPCA did nothing. Their inspector did not return any of our phone calls and never went to inspect the piggery, despite being sent damning photos of the pig's condition.

Dead piglets were also found in the aisles of the filthy farrowing crate shed.