From the outside, Jan Creamer and Tim Phillips appear to be a typical retired couple enjoying a quiet life in the Surrey suburbs. The reality, however, is a world away from this serene image. For nearly five decades, this formidable duo has been at the forefront of exposing global animal abuse, orchestrating daring rescues, and spearheading legislative change.
A Life Changed by a Beagle
Now 73, Jan Creamer's life took a dramatic turn in 1975 after reading an exposé in The People newspaper. The story detailed how beagles were being forced to smoke in laboratory experiments. "The smoking beagles story changed my life," she states. "There was nothing more important than exposing and stopping cruelty to animals. Everything else seemed trivial."
She promptly left her career in architectural design, became a vegan, and began volunteering for the National Anti-Vivisection Society. It was there she met Tim Phillips, now 64, who had abandoned banking for the cause. Together, they co-founded Animal Defenders International (ADI), embarking on a relentless mission.
Undercover in a Dangerous World
In an era before modern digital technology, the pair became pioneers of undercover investigation. They rigged up bulky cameras with battery packs hidden in their clothing to infiltrate circuses, laboratories, and factory farms. "We realised we needed the evidence with photos and film to convince people," Jan explains. "All the authorities were producing reports about good conditions and denying any cruelty."
Their work was often perilous. Jan recalls one midnight investigation at a winter compound for circus animals: "We crept through nearby woods in the dark and suddenly found ourselves sinking to our knees in a foul-smelling bog. They had been dumping animal waste outside their fences."
The Scream That Echoes Through Time
Their painstaking evidence gathering led to a landmark investigation into UK circuses. The most harrowing evidence captured circus boss Mary Chipperfield repeatedly beating an 18-month-old chimpanzee named Trudy with a riding whip. "Those are the kind of screams that stay with you forever," Jan says, the memory still vivid.
This evidence was pivotal. In 1999, Chipperfield was found guilty of 13 counts of cruelty towards Trudy. The previous year, elephant keeper Steve Gills was jailed for sustained attacks on elephants. These prosecutions became the catalyst for bans on animal circuses in the UK and scores of other countries.
A Lifetime of Sacrifice and Rescue
The couple's commitment extended to sacrificing parenthood to focus wholly on their work. Even their honeymoon was an animal rescue mission in post-coup Mozambique, where they saved an entire circus of lions, tigers, horses, dogs, and a snake, simultaneously breaking a trafficking ring.
Today, they continue to rescue animals from circuses, rehoming them in sanctuaries like a 455-acre reserve in South Africa. They are currently fundraising to save seven maltreated tigers from a circus in Guatemala.
Despite the risks and the years, retirement is not on the agenda. "We may not have the same energy we did in our 20s," Jan concludes, "but our commitment hasn't changed. There is so much work to be done."
