We infiltrated an industrial-sized pig slaughterhouse, C&K Meats in Suffolk, which has revealed a torrent of abuses and suffering, and a system designed to fail animals. Our undercover worker has stepped forward to share their experiences with you.

"The noise of panic-stricken animals in a slaughterhouse is something you'll never forget."

What motivated you to work undercover inside C&K Meats’ slaughterhouse?

Working undercover allows us first hand insight into the plight of animals. Statistics do not go far enough in showing the vast scale of animals killed in the name of profit. Exposing their experience is the most powerful way to show exactly what thousands of intelligent, sentient beings are put through in order for their bodies to land on the plates of consumers. The industry does not want us to see what happens behind closed doors, therefore they force us to find our own way in.

How do you think the animals feel during their time at the abattoir?

Farmed animals spend the last few hours of their life in an abattoir. They were born into grim environments and forced into a totally unfamiliar place before being killed. It is no surprise to see every individual animal in a slaughterhouse experience some kind of stress, panic and pain during their final hours. These conditions meant that some pigs didn't even survive the journey to the gas chambers, it is hard to judge whether this is a relief for them or not.

How do you think the other workers cope with killing animals for a living?

Workers either make jokes about the situation they are in, or simply ignore what is going on. Many workers at C&K Meats have never and will never visit the lairage, because they cannot bear to see the animals who they eat while they are alive. I am certain that many workers will also suffer long term psychological damage due to the horrendous acts they are carrying out, in the belief that slaughtering animals is totally normal.

What memory from this investigation sticks with you the most?

The noise of panic-stricken animals in a slaughterhouse is something you'll never forget. Followed closely by the quiet which consumes the facility at the end of the day's kill. Seeing pigs killed with guns and knives, simply because they could not walk well enough in a given moment is dreadful, but i think the saddest memory will always be the pigs who had died due to the heat during transport. Neglected by a driver and an industry that saw these animals as nothing more than a commodity.

What do you want consumers to know after you have experienced a slaughterhouse firsthand?

No amount of assurance labels or alleged welfare standards can excuse the treatment of a pig who is killed in a gas chamber. There is absolutely no way that these pigs can endure this process without having their rights and dignity abused. Do not believe the industry. You are being lied to.

The life of an undercover investigator is tough. You must face the atrocities forced upon animals on a daily basis with very little that you can do at the time (without blowing your cover). But as we bring these horrors into the public realm, we can influence people to make changes to their lifestyle so that more animals can be protected and not endure such a terror-stricken life. I would like to give a heartfelt thank you to our investigators because without their dedication to animal liberation, we cannot create a better future for everyone.

As always,

For the animals.