RSPCA 'Freedom' food: Misleading?

Question

I'm sure most are aware that the RSPCA's Freedom Food policies are in a lot of cases useless. There have been numerous reports that their Freedom Food Farms are no better than factory farms and they just don't have enough staff to check these farms adequately.

So should we just do away with this label completely? Even if the policies did work better than they do, am I the only one that finds the label 'freedom' ridiculous? I don't understand how the RSPCA could try and portray that any farmed animals have freedom.

Answer 1

Forgive my ignorance, but I take it this is similar to the organic movement & Humane Slaughter Act in the US, right?

Regardless of how they are treated, animals are not ours to slaughter and eat. I'm not sure about practices in the UK, but the Humane Slaughter Act excludes several species and is far from what I would consider humane. All it does is make it illegal to not stun an animal before it is killed. They are still forced into too-small cages, beaten, abused, and left to die if they fall ill.

Answer 2

I agree 100% with you. Even if they are kept slightly better the end is still the same in a disgusting slaughter house where they will suffer the unthinkable for hours.

I think it is all just a con to make more money from the produce, you can't make murder cruelty free at the end of the day.

Answer 3

I agree 100%-I have virtually no faith in the RSPCA due to this and a number of other things I won't list here as it would be a rant!

Basic fact is that there's no such thing as a very humanely treated animal that ends up as meat-the 2 simply can't go together.

Answer 4

I would not say you're the only one but I would dare to venture that you are th minority.

I would also advocate the removal of the words "ethical treatment " in PETAs name in line with your sentiment that we remove labels that are ridiculous and misleading.

Instead how about :

People Who Harass Minors on the Why Home From School

Or

People Organizing Own Propoganda for Own Organization or P.O.O.P.O.O.

Answer 5

The whole thing with the R.S.P.C.A is a complete farce, the food is always more expensive as well(not that I eat it), the farms should be prosecuted under the trades description act!

I lost respect for the R.S.P.C.A years ago,(through info given to me by Hillside Animal Sanctuary) which is a shame as the people that go out to rescue the animals work really hard, its the ones at the top that are the problem.

How many farms improved their animals "living" conditions so they could be approved by the R.S.P.C.A   If it improved the conditions for the animals then fair enough, but the R.S.P.C.A are meant to be against ALL animal cruelty!  So I agree that they should do away with the label completely, it seems to be hypocritical to be supporting these farms!

Answer 6

I agree yes.

The RSPCA "freedom food" scheme has been exposed countless times as being useless.

It definitely gives the wrong message - allowing meat eaters to think they're being kind to animals when in fact, they are still contributing to their death and suffering needlessly.  People will see the label and think it means the animals are well treated - balls as we all know.  They may be in slightly less disgusting conditions than your "own brand" meat, but it is still nowhere near acceptable.

The best analogy I have heard is that with slavery.  The only solution to the cruelty and rights violation of this was to abolish it.  Trying to fight for slaves to be given a pillow, beaten less often or given two hours off a week would be a waste of time.  The only way to change things was to say "This is absolutely wrong. People are not the property of another and have a right to be free".  

A loud and clear message needs to be sent out from ALL animal welfare groups (RSPCA included) to say "Eating meat/dairy/eggs will ALWAYS involve animal cruelty, as by their production involves animals' deaths. To prevent this suffering, go vegetarian/vegan"

Labels such as the RSPCA "Freedom Food" one only muddy the waters and confuse the issue.

Answer 7

if it was checked out properly then it is a good idea to have that label. ya farmed animals are not "free" but if they have to be killed then isnt it better they have a happy short life in a field rather then a miserable existance in a dark shed or a cage?

i dunno too much about the rspca freedom food thing i dont live in the UK.

Answer 8

I have no respect for the RSPCA any more. My cat I got "got" her from a so called rescue centre. 4 days later after caring and willing her to live she died of starvation. She was too far gone when we rescued her. The RSPCA did nothing. We reported it with the vet behind us and they visited and did diddly squat. Other people on the net have written up reporting the same place and they still do nothing.

They did nothing when I reported a man who keeps breeding cats and lets then run wild and get knocked down etc. One cat had a leg dragging behind it when it limped. Their response was "private land can't do anything".

The RSPCA is not worth anything in my books.

Answer 9

Well,i have no respect for the r.s.p.c.a either.

Did you see the Jame Oliver programme about battery chickens?

The guy from rspca said the battery hens in the next pen to the free range (i use that term loosely),were o.k and up to rspca standards of care.

Also,the rspca  set the guidelines for slaughter and they actually take the trainee inspectors to abattoir as part of training to kill a cow "humanely".

They also go to markets to supervise killing of animals ,and to hunts etc,and they have a weird way of protecting animals.

As they seem to spend so much time supervising killing them.

They also sanction deer and badger culling.

They put down animals in their shelters if nobody wants them,other shelters try harder even moving the animals round country to help home them.

How can killing any animal to eat be ethically right,and freedom foods are very misleading.

I lost faith in these people years ago.