Animal cruelty charges laid over Adelaide piggery after year-long investigation

The RSPCA has filed numerous animal cruelty charges against five individuals in connection with an Adelaide Plains piggery, a year after covert footage purportedly filmed at the site was released. Forty-nine charges of ill-treatment of an animal have been laid against one person associated with Andgar Piggery in Dublin, while four others face 31 counts. The investigation was prompted by footage published last July by the activist group Farm Transparency Project (FTP). Following the footage's release, the RSPCA and the Department of Primary Industries and Regions conducted a raid, during which 14 pigs were humanely euthanized. The investigation is described by RSPCA SA head of animal welfare Andrea Lewis as "an extremely complex matter" that has involved diligent review of evidence over the past year. It remains unclear whether the current charges directly relate to the conditions depicted in the FTP's footage. The RSPCA has stated it will not provide further commentary as legal proceedings are set to progress. Separately, the same piggery experienced a fire in September, resulting in the deaths of over 200 pigs, which the Country Fire Service attributed to spontaneous combustion. The RSPCA confirmed the fire and the welfare investigation are unrelated matters. The charges will be heard at the Elizabeth Magistrates Court on July 7.

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Over the past 12 months, we have worked tirelessly and diligently to thoroughly review the evidence.