On the morning of November 30th, 1996 I inspected and videotaped a dry sow shed in Module 2 at Bunge piggery.
At the end of the shed near the door there were several pens larger than the individual sow stalls. I saw one large pig alone in the pen nearest the door. The pig was laying down and had made a large pool of diarrhoea.
At that end of the shed I also saw three sows suffering bleeding prolapses.
Two of these were seething with maggots, the third had a large piece of flesh hanging off it.
At one stage another pig stood on a prolapse of one of the sick pigs.
She screamed in pain.
A bleeding prolapse was constantly dripping and a pool of blood/liquid had formed on the floor. I saw maggots fall from the prolapse into this pool.
Seething with maggots ... This pig had obviously been in this condition for quite awhile.
I am also extremely concerned that the pigs are so tightly confined that they have no room to move.
I witnessed stereotypic behaviour in the pigs. The majority were swaying, sucking and biting on the front bar of their pen, at times which was frenzied.
Some pigs would stand up and lean over the front bar of their stall and cry out in a loud manner.
This would start a chain reaction in the shed and the noise was deafening and disturbing.
My companion, Fiona Rees with her dictaphone.Fiona recorded conditions she witnessed while in the shed.
Two animal liberation campaigners who filmed sick pigs, said they were suffering pain and discomfort at the Bunge piggeries, left Corowa Court yesterday without being convicted or fined. Ms Diana Simpson, 49, of Ashburton, Melbourne, and Miss Fiona Rees, 29 of Somers, on the Mornigton Pennisula, each pleaded guilty to entering enclosed lands.
The magistrate, Mr Clive Werry, found the case proved but recorded no conviction and imposed no penalty, except for having to pay $51 court costs each. Mr Werry refused a police application to have the women's fingerprints taken. Ms Simpson amd Miss Rees admitted being part of a 36 members of Animal Liberation Action who entered part of the piggeries on November 11th.
No action was taken against that group, but Ms Simpson and Miss Rees returned together before dawn on November 30th with a video camera. Sgt Bob Hanzic said they later went to the Corowa police station and showed an officer the video of the suffering pigs.
Miss Rees told Mr Werry they had seen pregnant sows with prolapses and a boar that was so sick it should have been destroyed. She described the scene as "a diabolical situation." and claimed the suffering was inexcusable. Ms Simpson said she had revisited the piggeries, feeling "morally obliged to document the cruelty in the hope of generating action from the authorities".
She said she was aware the RSPCA and other animals health parties had visited the piggeries, but claimed that pigs continued to suffer. "Several sows suffered collapsed prolapses infected with maggots, " she said. Ms Simpson and Miss Rees, a community services student, each produced character references.
Mr Werry said they had entered the piggeries without permission and in the area that was quarantined. He said they were of excellent character and were motivated by a desire to see that animals did not suffer. "That's a noteworthy attitude, but it still does not give you the right to breach the law," he said.
He advised the women to make any future protest "in the correct fashion."
Border Mail, Albury, New South Wales, April 16th, `1997. | 
