Animal Rising cancels farm raid plans following investigations

The Countryside Alliance has cautiously welcomed news that radical activist group Animal Rising has u-turned on their plan to raid and steal more than 100 animals from RSPCA Assured farms. 

Investigations by the Daily Mail revealed that campaigners at Animal Rising – formerly known as Animal Rebellion – had arranged to mobilise and train over 200 people to take part in a ‘rescue’ mission at an undisclosed location later this year. Ringleaders had revealed in a Zoom meeting their plans to hold secret in-person trainings on how to break into farms and capture animals.

This follows an ‘investigation’ by the group which alleged that animal cruelty and suffering took place at 45 farms under the RSPCA Assured scheme, an accreditation programme which charges hatcheries, farms, hauliers and abattoirs an annual membership fee. 

However, the group backtracked on their plans after the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) and Countryside Alliance warned that these sort of 'divisive stunts' may frighten and 'distress' the animals and potentially 'spread disease to animals on farms’. 

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 has a long history of stealing animals from farms and causing disruption to animal-related businesses and events. Previously, members and supporters of their group have snatched lambs from the King's Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, broken into animal testing breeding facility MBR acres in Cambridgeshire, allegedly stolen beagles from cages, and attempted to sabotage the Grand National by getting hundreds of their supporters to run onto the Aintree racetrack and halt the race. 

Only last month, two members of the group defaced the King’s first official portrait in a London gallery. The King was targeted due to his role as the Royal Patron of the RSPCA, and Animal Rising demanded that the scheme be scrapped altogether. 

Mo Metcalf-Fisher, Director of External Affairs for 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.”
The RSPCA Assured scheme covered more than 24 million UK animals in 2022. In 2021, an independent review of RSPCA Assured found it was making a 'positive and significant impact on improving the lives of 136 million animals a year in the UK'. Given the vast bulk of the British public eat meat and dairy as part of their diet, it is an important and successful scheme which provides a valued consideration for consumers.