“One of the heartbreaking images which sticks with me is seeing the tongues of the calves poking out of the ventilation slats desperately trying to get some moisture from the outside of the lorry if it was raining.” - former RSPCA officer

Over 200 years since the passing of the very first law to protect farmed animals, the RSPCA is marking another milestone moment for farmed animals - with the banning of live exports the latest law to help livestock.

Today (Monday 22 July) is the 202nd anniversary of the first ever animal welfare law - The Cruel Treatment of Cattle Act, which was passed thanks to the pioneering efforts of founding RSPCA member Richard Martin MP.

Over the two centuries which followed, the RSPCA has campaigned hard to ensure a better deal for farm animals in law.
Now the charity is highlighting the importance of the most recent law to be passed for farmed animals - the live export ban which became law in May this year and is due to come into force soon.

Emma Slawinski, Director of Policy and Campaigns at the RSPCA, said: “Farmed animal welfare has been an integral part of our rich history over the last 200 years. It’s inspiring to think about all the changes we have seen for farm animals over the years, from the first ever animal welfare law to protect cattle from cruelty; right up until this year when live exports were finally banned in Great Britain after 100 years of campaigning.

“This truly is a full circle moment for the RSPCA as we celebrate 202 years since the passing of the trailblazing Cattle Act which the RSPCA was first set-up to enforce. This law highlights how farmed animal welfare has been the building blocks of the charity’s foundation since its inception.”

The charity is today releasing a moving video <https://youtu.be/JvNsrSW9p_4> to celebrate the ban on live exports. This includes interviews from current and former RSPCA inspectors who have witnessed livestock being transported in lorries and ferries to undergo gruelling journeys - some lasting up to 100 hours in cramped and poor conditions - as they were transported abroad. Figures
from Defra show up to 40 million farmed animals*, including sheep, calves and pigs, have been exported from Britain for further rearing or slaughter since the 1960s. This equates to an astonishing 13,888 a week or 82 animals every hour.

Kevin Degenhard, former RSPCA Inspector and Special Operations Unit (SOU) officer, said: “I spent a lot of time at the ports witnessing the
conditions the animals were kept in and as an RSPCA officer it was extremely concerning to see. At that time, it was illegal to transport
animals without food and water for more than 12 hours and suddenly they were often going for well over 30 hours across the Channel and beyond - often without food or water being provided.

“One of the heartbreaking images that really sticks with me is seeing the tongues of the calves poking out of the ventilation slats desperately trying to get some moisture from the outside of the lorry if it was raining. You’ve also got to remember that the calves were only six or seven days old and used to being fed every few hours on a bottle and now had been loaded into packed lorries for these long, arduous journeys.

“I’m so pleased it’s over. It’s a real relief. And I’m so grateful to all of the campaigners, who went down to the docks and demonstrated and
reported back to tell us what was really going on when we couldn’t be there.”

The video <https://youtu.be/JvNsrSW9p_4> documents a landmark celebration event on 15 May, which saw the RSPCA, Compassion In World Farming and Kent Action Against Live Exports (KAALE) project a thank you message to all those who helped make the live exports ban happen on the White Cliffs of Dover - one of the ports from which live animals have historically been shipped.

Tina Nash, RSPCA Inspector, who also features in the video, added: “Someone had to be there to make sure that the animals weren’t suffering so Inspectors would go down to the port to try their best to help. Most of the people who were there, including the protestors, were really upset about the conditions the animals were going over in. It’s really hard to watch because you’re seeing animals who are crying and sounding quite distressed and you know they've already come a long way and have so much further to go.
There were water outlets in all of the lorries but we never knew whether they were getting water on the way through.

“This amazing law stops all of those animals suffering on those long journeys, it’s absolutely fantastic. Thank you to everyone who signed a
petition to get this ban in place, it has all made a huge difference. Now we’re at a point in history where this cruel practice has been banned - 202 years after the first ever farmed animal welfare law was passed.”

The Cattle Act 1822 - also known as the Martin’s Act - was named after Richard Martin the campaigning MP who helped found the RSPCA two years later alongside the likes of William Wilberforce and Arthur Broome. The Act was aimed to prevent cruelty to cattle and horses in England and was the first legislation in the world to specifically protect animals. Crucially, the legislation made it an offence to “beat, abuse, or ill-treat any horse, mare, gelding, mule, ass, cattle, sheep, or other livestock”.

It faced opposition from the public, but it marked a significant step forward in recognising legal protection for animals. Martin even took the
first ever prosecution for animal cruelty, leading the donkey in question into court as evidence.

The RSPCA still has the original minutes from when the charity was formed - and Martin can be seen still corresponding with the charity on animal welfare law 10 years later - his signature appears on several documents at the charity’s West Sussex archive.

Emma added: “Animals are arguably facing some of the biggest challenges of the past two centuries as climate change, loss of wildlife, cost of living and the pandemic take their toll. But the growth of industrial farming presents one of the most pressing threats to animals of all, with the scale of suffering of meat chickens, who live often unbearable lives, presenting the single biggest animal welfare issue in this country and around the world. We know we have a long way to go but we will continue to speak up for every kind of animal and raise standards to improve the lives of every farmed animal now and in the future.”

The RSPCA marks its 200th anniversary this year - and continues to campaign for further improvements for farm animals. The charity wants to see the new UK Government protect and prioritise the welfare of all farmed animals including bringing an end to intensive, low welfare farming and has urged them to consult on banning cages for farmed animals in their first 100 days of office. This campaign received a whopping 17,475 signatures from the public in just four weeks. Cages are already banned under the trailblazing RSPCA Assured scheme, which also did not permit live exports.

Changing laws can change the lives of millions of animals at a stroke but the RSPCA cannot do this alone and needs the public to support its million strong movement and encourages everyone to take action for every kind of animal: https://www.rspca.org.uk/200th