Organisers of Brisbane's annual pig race day have resisted calls to cancel the event, claiming the little porkers are lucky they don't get eaten.
The races will go ahead as planned at the iconic Paddington Tavern in the city's inner west on Sunday, despite protests from international animal rights activists.
Pub spokesman Damian McGuire insisted pig racing was not cruel and that the pigs were willing participants.
"All the pigs run to the starting gate by themselves," he said. "They don't have to be rounded up, they all run out of the little play pen and around the track.
"These are quite lucky pigs, I feel, because they are not ending up on someone's dinner table."
But the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has written to the pub, asking it to call off the event.
Pigs 'stressed' by crowds, noise
"It's inherent cruelty and needs to be cancelled immediately," PETA senior campaigner Ashley Fruno said.
"Pigs are curious and insightful animals thought to have intelligence beyond that of an average three-year-old human child."
PETA says the animals are stressed by crowds, audience noise and flashing cameras, and that they face possible injury.
"At most of these racing events there is no veterinarian on hand to treat injuries, such as torn ligaments or broken bones, which commonly occur," Ms Fruno said.
But the Paddington Tavern defends the event, now in its fourth year.
Mr McGuire said the pigs' handler would be in attendance all day and there was little chance that any of them would get hurt.
"They don't run on bitumen or concrete, they run on straw," he said.
Mr McGuire said the event had the support of the RSPCA, and that all proceeds from the races would be donated to charity.
