A shocking animal protest displaying a 'dead dog being roasted on a stick has left Henley Royal Regatta attendees 'stunned'.

The daring stunt, which revealed a lurcher dog 'being cooked' under a banner that read 'The Great Dog Roast', occurred at the Henley Royal Regatta at Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, yesterday (3 July).

The prestigious rowing event, attended by celebrities and royalty alike, attracted crowds of 300,000 spectators - and many were left 'horrified' to see the unusual delicacy: a dog roast.

The stunt, in which a silicone model of a dog was used, was organised by the UK's leading vegan campaigning charity, Viva! in a bid to 'challenge the perception that it's socially acceptable to eat some animals but not others'.

Viva!'s founder & director, Juliet Gellatley, said: "This Viva! stunt pushed boundaries and had the desired effect of shocking thousands of people into facing the reality that eating pigs, cows and other animals isn't so different to eating dogs. "

"They are all emotional, smart beings. "

"As a nation of animal lovers, our pets are part of our family, so the thought of someone eating a dog naturally caused upset from many members of the public. "

"Our message to them is simple: if you feel disgust at the idea of someone eating a dog, then the same sentiment should be applied to pigs, chicks and other animals"."

Items on 'The Great Dog Roast' menu featured a ‘Pulled Dog Meat Bap' (pulled Lurcher meat, served in a bap with barbecue sauce, fries and slaw).

Also appearing on the unconventional food menu was 'The Woofing Squealer' (pulled Lurcher meat, bacon and cheese served with a barbecue sauce, in a bap with fries and slaw) and ‘Naked Dog' (no carbs, just 100% pure Lurcher meat). 

 

The scene attracted large numbers of people who, feeling appalled to see dog meat on the menu, debated with the animal rights charity.

According to Viva!, the team explained how 'pigs, cows and other farmed animals are sentient beings who feel pain, joy and fear - just like our beloved pets'.

Juliet said: "About three quarters of those who talked to the Viva! team decided to cut down, or cut out their meat consumption after being confronted with their hypocrisy. "

According to the UK's largest vegan charity, over one billion animals are killed for food in the UK each year, with 85 per cent of these animals spending their lives imprisoned in factory farms.

This figure includes 11 million pigs, the vast majority of whom are gassed to death, causing agony as the carbon dioxide gas forms an acid on their eyes, nostrils, mouths and lungs.

Viva! claims that the suffering of farmed animals is continuously swept under the carpet, and the group is performing this stunt to raise awareness of the suffering of all animals who are farmed for food. 

Juliet explained the similarities between the animals killed for food, and the animals people keep in their homes.

She explained: "Animals killed for food share many characteristics with our pets. They play, feel happiness and sadness and want to avoid pain. "

"Pigs love belly rubs, learn very quickly to sit and pirouette on command, and are so intelligent, they even play computer games with a joystick. "

"But while we cherish and mourn our pets when they die, a billion UK farmed animals are killed needlessly each year."  "

Juliet added: "We knew this stunt would upset people, but what they should be more upset about is the way farmed animals are treated. "

"To feed humanity's demand for meat, dairy, fish and eggs, we keep most animals in cruel factory farms, where they live in cramped, filthy conditions. "

"Many never see the light of day until they head to the slaughterhouse. "

"Disease is widespread, as is violence towards animals."

" I have investigated countless factory farms and have witnessed firsthand the extreme suffering that the animals endure. "

"If you truly care about animals, go vegan."