The RSPCA prosecutors withdrew the charges and Magistrate Mrs G Beattie dismissed the case in the Yass Local Court on Monday November 17.

The Tribune spoke with the Perenc’s on Monday evening. 

“The RSPCA came with a bucket full of charges, like [if] I had scratched my bum they would have charged me for that,” Mr Perenc said. 

“When you put all the piglets in the same room, they huddle together, to get warm, so it looks overcrowded. We had the right numbers."

Mr Perenc admits his piggery was messy but that was only because he had trouble with workers. He added that on the day of the inspection, all his workers left.

“There were 11,000 pigs here, how can you run a piggery with just a husband and wife, as all the workers had taken off by this stage. We couldn’t do that, my kids and family came to help tidy up what had to tidy up, they were the only ones that helped." 

He said he had to focus on feeding and giving the pigs water, so sweeping the floors was low on his priority list. 

Mr Perenc said his mistake was opening his piggery to the authorities at any time of the day. He said they didn't know anything about the laws allowing authorities onto private property.

Wally’s Piggery was built in the early 80s and the couple traveled overseas visiting other piggeries, to learn the different styles and techniques. 

“I should be farmer of the year, but I ended up as a criminal... it’s not fair."

He said they were high-class operators.

“In the beginning we were there all night when they had their piglets, the ones that didn’t make it the mother would drag outside, we just had to pick it up and put it into a bucket, really what else are you supposed to do? 

“Every piglet you lose is $200 and they were producing 600 a week. 

“You have 11,000 good pigs and you have four bad ones, what they did was show the four bad ones. 

“These people, the 'Greenies', they come to our farms and they try to tell us how to run them, they have never been in a piggery before in their lives."

He said the RSPCA ruined his reputation, lost him contacts and almost wrecked their business.

“Luckily I had two wholesalers that stood by me, so I was able to get rid of the rest of my pigs.”

Mrs Perenc said many who have claimed they care about the welfare of the pigs were hypocritical. 

“They were only there to discredit us,” she said.

“Why didn’t they say - ‘Stephanie we know your husband is in hospital can we help you feed and water the pigs?' if they were there to help the animals.”

The couple claimed the worker who captured the footage, known only as 'Walter', was living with them during his time as an employee. Mr Perenc said at times he suspected he was filming.

“I thought it was interesting that... his section of work was never shown. They took out what they wanted. I kept telling him to clean this and that but he wouldn’t do it because he was getting the area ready for film."

After the inspection Mr Perenc was taken to hospital, suffering depression and anxiety.

“The RSPCA came to us and told us that they would drop the charges on Stephanie and me, so we wouldn’t have criminal charges, but not the charges on the company, that was a week before the court. They just charged us for things that they shouldn’t [have] and our lawyer said that we had a great case.

“We can be guilty of not having things tidy and clean, because we were short staffed, but we are not guilty of mistreating animals. I have always looked after the animals.”

The couple claimed the pigs were their livelihood, and as such it was in their best interests to look after them. 

“What rights do farmers have, what rules apply to activists that come on our property. Are we allowed to walk into their place of business and homes and film them secretly, it’s just so wrong,” Mrs Perenc said.