Every year, millions of British pigs are facing terrible treatment at slaughter. Will you take a moment to email the Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) who is responsible for this issue, and ask to protect pig welfare?

Around three quarters of pigs sent for slaughter in the UK are killed using CO2. Despite numerous reports, dating back over three decades, highlighting that CO2 is an inhumane method for stunning and slaughtering pigs, the pig industry has dragged its heels over implementing more humane slaughter methods. In 2025, the UK Government’s own Animal Welfare Committee called for CO2 pig slaughter to be prohibited and for the phase out to be as short as possible.

This method involves lowering pigs into a CO2 chamber, where they panic, fight for breath and eventually suffocate. It can take as long as 60 seconds for them to lose consciousness.

Will you urge Defra to end the use of CO2 as an “acceptable” method for pig slaughter?

CO2 is unsuitable as a method of slaughter for pigs, and alternative solutions must be found as soon as possible in order that its use stops.

Compassion is urging the Secretary of State to work with the pig industry to fully fund research into alternative slaughter methods and to end the use of CO2 for pig slaughter as a priority. Will you email today and help stop the needless suffering of pigs?