RSPCA’s Think Pig campaign

When I was around 16 I dabbled with the idea of becoming a vegetarian. It might seem weird but I could watch news items of people suffering across the world, and although it touched me, it was nothing like seeing an animal suffer. The latter would have me in tears and thinking about it for hours afterwards.

I remember reading an article about the welfare of intensively farmed pigs in a magazine which sickened me. I cut out the article and stuck it on the noticeboard above my bed where I read and re-read it for weeks.

My first experience of ‘vegetarianism’ was giving up all pig products. My favourite ham and pineapple pizza was off the menu along with bacon rolls and sausages.

Before long I gave up meat altogether.

Now the RSPCA have taken me on a trip down memory lane as they are asking all of us to ‘think pig’ in order to improve pig welfare and make sure what we put in our shopping baskets is a vote for better pig welfare.

Many of the 160 million pigs bred for meat across Europe live in conditions that the Society believes are unacceptable and pigs face a range of welfare issues that most people are just not aware of.

Currently, the RSPCA are trying to read a broader consumer audience through facebook and you can checkout their ‘think pig’ checklist for when you shop for pork, bacon, sausages or ham to ensure you are buying more ethically.