Farmers are furious after the RSPCA launches rebrand with bizarre video

Farmers have been left furious after the RSPCA posted a bizarre rebrand video where they compared cattle farming to stepping on a snail.

The largest animal welfare charity in the UK said we need to 'radically' rethink our relationship with all animals as it launches a new campaign to mark its 200th year.

The video features various different animals singing Respect by Aretha Franklin as spiders are swatted and a bee is caught in a landmower.

In comparison, the second half of the video shows people treating the animals with respect, for example by removing a snail from the pavement.

Gareth Wyn Jones, a Welsh hill farmer, said the video was 'a kick in the teeth', and had left 'a lot of angry farmers'.

'Respecting animals is what 99 per cent of farmers do. There's a few rotten apples but those are the ones that the RSPCA keeps showing,' he told The Telegraph.

Tim Bonner of the Countryside Alliance also told the publication: 'We all love bees, but when there are so many cases of real animal cruelty lecturing people on lawn mowing really isn't the issue.'

On their website, the RSPCA said polling of more than 2,500 UK adults reveals 90% of people think dogs can experience positive emotions like happiness but only 34% think rats can and just 42% think chickens can. 

The charity argued that 'in reality, both experience lives rich in emotions - rats love to play and even giggle when tickled, and chickens can count and some show empathy for their flock mates'.

Chris Sherwood, Chief Executive of the RSPCA, said: 'We are devoted to our cats and dogs, but we often don't realise we are connected to billions of other animals in our lives, through the things we buy and the choices we make. 

'All animals are amazing, but sadly we've come to see many creatures as commodities and we value their lives differently because of it.

'As a society, we love our native birds, but turn a blind eye to the suffering of billions of meat chickens; we love the hedgehogs who visit our garden, but treat rats and foxes as pests. 

'We need to realise that all animals have feelings and emotions, many can feel joy, anger, fear, and more, and whether they are pets, wildlife, on farms or in labs, they deserve to have a fulfilled life of their own.'

In September last year, meat-loving Brits said the RSPCA were 'deluding themselves' after the animal charity said their survey found the majority of people are backing subsidies for plant-based alternatives.

New figures suggested a revolution in eating habits for a nation that was previously defined by its love of roast beef and a fry-ups, with their bacon, sausages and eggs.

A study sponsored by the RSPCA found 58 per cent have taken steps to eliminate or reduce their own meat consumption. And 57 per cent think the country should consume fewer animal products, mainly due to health, environmental and animal welfare reasons.

Significantly, some 58 per cent said they would be supportive of government subsidies to help cut the cost of plant-based alternatives.

But Britons are not convinced by the results of the survey - arguing most people don't choose plant-based alternatives to meat and suggesting more 'accurate' ways of assessing sales.