Earlier today, a press release came out announcing that the four animal rights activists, known as The Excelsior 4, accused of filming animal cruelty at Excelsior Hog Farm will begin their defense in a 10-day pretrial hearing set to start on Monday, March 28th, 2022. A rally in support of the activists will be held outside of the Courthouse at 9 am on the first day of the hearing.
Lawyers for the Excelsior 4 will argue for the dismissal of some charges based on misconduct by police and the BC SPCA. Lawyers are also seeking records from the police and the hog farm to better understand how key evidence of criminal animal cruelty contained on SD cards from cameras found on-site went missing during the investigation.
The pretrial hearing comes more than a year after the disclosure of Freedom of Information documents that reveal that the private charity BC Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BCSPCA) has no capacity to enforce animal cruelty at factory farms in BC. Excelsior Hog Farm has yet to face any consequences despite being caught committing multiple acts of animal cruelty.
Here are all the ways YOU can support #TheExcelsior4:
1) Call on BC Agriculture Minster Lana Popham to replace the private charity BCSPCA with a more accountable government agency, and install Closed-Circuit TV cameras at all animal agriculture facilities in BC.
2) Purchase an "E4" eco-friendly t-shirt to help these activists with legal support.
3) Donate to the Excelsior 4 Legal Defense Fund through GoFundMe.
4) Follow the Excelsior 4 on Twitter to stay up-to-date with legal proceedings.
5) Attend the rally in support of the Excelsior 4 at the New Westminster Provincial Court of BC at 9 am.
6) Check out the Excelsior 4 website to learn more, share info with your circle, and help take action.
7) Help work towards the end of this cycle of animal exploitation and abuse through your daily actions by going vegan and choosing to leave animals off your plate.
In 2019, undercover footage from Excelsior Hog Farm exposed workers kicking and hitting pigs, electric-prodding pigs in the face, cutting off tails and castrating piglets without analgesic to relieve pain, and leaving sick and injured pigs to suffer and die without treatment.