Radical animal rights activists who were planning to steal more than 100 animals from RSPCA Assured farms this summer have U-turned on their plans following an investigation by the Daily Mail.
Campaigners from the group Animal Rising were planning to ‘mobilise and train’ more than 200 people to take part in the ‘huge open rescue’ at an undisclosed location later this year.
Earlier this month, over 110 people took part in a zoom meeting where ringleaders of the extremist group revealed they were organising secret in-person trainings across the country – to teach people how to break onto farms and take animals.
But now Animal Rising have cancelled their plans after the RSPCA warned that these sort of ‘divisive stunts’ may frighten and ‘distress’ the animals and potentially ‘spread disease to animals on farms’.
It comes days after two Animal Rising activists defaced the King’s first official portrait with Wallace and Gromit inspired posters to raise awareness about their investigation into animal welfare on RSPCA assured farms.
Campaigners from the group Animal Rising hope to ‘mobilise and train’ more than 200 volunteers to take part in the ‘huge open rescue’ at undisclosed locations. Picture shows Animal Rising of their activists taking sheep in May 2023
The group also has a long history of stealing animals from farms. In May 2023, three of its supporters (pictured) snatched three lambs from the King’s Sandringham Estate in Norfolk
The group’s report found hundreds of alleged legal breaches on at least 45 RSPCA assured farms including one incident of a dead pig left to rot in a walkway on a farm in Somerset.
So compelled by scenes of animal suffering the group of investigators kidnapped one pig known as ‘Charlie’ from the farm during their visit.
Animal Rising has a long history of stealing animals from farms and have been responsible for several appalling incidents over the past few years.
Last May, three Animal Rising supporters brazenly snatched three lambs from the King’s Sandringham Estate in Norfolk and whisked them away to an undisclosed sanctuary, before handing themselves into the police in Windsor.
The group have released one picture of the lambs but there is no independent way to verify their current conditions.
In December 2022, the group broke into animal testing breeding facility MBR acres in Cambridgeshire in the middle of the night and used bolt cutters to tear through security fences.
They allegedly stole 18 beagles from their cages and have since rehoused them in multiple secret locations.
In 2023 Animal Rising infamously planned to sabotage the Grand National by getting hundreds of their supporters to run onto the Aintree race track and halt the race.
Their plot was spectacularly foiled by an undercover reporter for the Mail on Sunday who alerted police leading to the arrest of dozens of activists.
In the end the race was delayed for just 15 minutes.
Responding to the latest plot, Mo Metcalf-Fisher from campaigning group the Countryside Alliance said: ‘These stunts actually risk threatening the welfare of livestock. We hope the authorities take immediate and robust action to tackle this criminality.’
Founded in 2019 Animal Rising, is a direct action protest group that campaigns for sustainability and animal rights.
Responding to the shocking plot, Mo Metcalf-Fisher, External Affairs Director of the Countryside Alliance said: ‘It is bizarre that a group which supposedly supports animal welfare would attempt to disrupt a scheme designed to ensure high animal welfare standards.
‘In a sad irony, these stunts actually risk threatening the welfare of livestock.
‘We hope the authorities take immediate and robust action to tackle this criminality.’
An RSPCA spokesperson said: ‘We welcome scrutiny of our work to improve the lives of millions of farm animals, but we do not condone illegal activity.
‘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.’
Animal Rising have said they take extensive biosecurity safety measures during all their open rescues.
Co-Director of the group Rose Patterson said: ‘It’s become abundantly clear over months of investigations on 45 farms that the RSPCA Assured scheme is doing nothing to protect animals.
‘In that time we’ve been compelled to rescue a pig from one of their farms.
‘Later this year Animal Rising will be rescuing dozens of animals, allowing them to live their lives free and happy in sanctuaries – away from the horrors of an RSPCA factory farm.
‘It doesn’t have to be like this, we want the RSPCA to join us in rescuing animals – but for now, they’re continuing to participate in their suffering.’