Animal Liberation last week leaked footage of alleged abuse of pigs at Wally's Piggery, near Murrumbateman.

The footage, taken with hidden and hand-held cameras, shows piglets being kicked across the floor and sows bludgeoned with a sledgehammer and left with open sores. Authorities inspected a second piggery near Young, which is linked to the business, yesterday.

The disturbing vision sparked investigations by police, Primary Industries and the RSPCA, who slapped the Murrumbateman piggery with a list of mandatory improvements. RSPCA NSW chief executive officer Steve Coleman said the original demands had been met, but fresh ones had resulted from the latest inspection.

But he said the owners were handed a second list of improvements on Thursday that must be met by next week.

‘‘There was some additional instructions issued yesterday, so our guys will be back out in the short-term to make sure those instructions have been complied with,’’ he said.

‘‘By and large we’ve got some serious improvements in that piggery, which we’re happy about,’’ he said.

‘‘Our progress now is just trying to sort through this video footage and understand who took it and when they took it.’’

Animal Liberation ACT will today hold a rally in Garema Place to protest the alleged cruelty at Wally’s Piggery.
Mr Coleman described the attitudes of the owners of the piggery as co-operative.

‘‘Clearly there’s some acceptance that things were not done well, but once we can establish the continuity of evidence around the footage then we can conduct formal interviews with the owners and anyone else involved,’’ he said.

Animal Liberation last year released footage of animals being mistreated at Hawkesbury Valley Meat Processors, in Sydney’s north-west, prompting the government to shut the facility down and launch reforms to safeguard animal welfare in the state.

From July 1 next year, it will be compulsory for NSW abattoirs to have animal welfare officers monitor and take responsibility for the well-being of animals.