Turkey farmers have accused vegan activists of a co-ordinated campaign against them, according to The Telegraph.
A report in the outlet claims the activists are frightening the animals on ‘ethical farms’ – which it says ‘have been targeted because of their public presence – as factory farms do not open to the public and can afford heavy security’.
Farmers quoted in the article also accuse vegans of ‘getting together’ to send death threats, and carry out vandalism.
‘I love animals’
One farmer, Susan Gorst, who runs Moorgate Farm near Milton Keynes, told The Telegraph that she ‘loves’ the animals she sends to slaughter.
“The gist of what I thought was their argument was that we kill animals – they said ‘oh you say that you love these animals but you kill them’,” she said.
“But I thought – we are giving them a happy life, they couldn’t get a happier life anywhere else than what they get here.”
Turkey farmer
The report follows a recent news story, where a Devon turkey farmer said he made record sales after pro-vegan graffiti was sprayed on his shop.
Mat Carter, owner of Greendale Farm Shop, told local media his shop was vandalized after a weekend post he made about turkeys on social media attracted attention, saying that when he went to the farm shop on Tuesday morning, the doors were graffitied, and dead pheasants were also covered in spray paint.
He also claimed that the business had received phone calls, with the caller saying: “You should be the ones being killed because your life is worth less than that of the innocent animals which you are murdering.”
As a result of the media coverage, Carter told the BBC that ‘turkey sales have gone through the roof and the shop is busier than it has ever been’.
Vegan activity?
But elements of the story provoked online speculation – which has not been proved – with some social media users questioning whether the grafitti really was the work of vegans.
“I just can’t imagine vegans spray painting dead pheasants,” said one.
“That kind of gross disrespect to animals goes against what vegans fundamentally believe in. It just doesn’t seem quite right somehow.”