People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has asked the Wright County attorney, Eric Simonson, to review a report they obtained from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They have requested that “as appropriate,” he file criminal cruelty-to-animals charges against the facility and the workers.
The PETA letter written on August 17, 2020, and signed by Colin Henstock, Assistant manager of Investigations, stated, “I would like to request that your office (and the proper local law enforcement agency, as you deem appropriate) investigate and file suitable criminal charges against Prestage Foods of Iowa and the worker(s) responsible for allowing a hoisted pig whose throat had been cut to regain consciousness and apparently be conveyed through a device that scraped off the pig’s hair on July 28 at its slaughterhouse located at 3183 Hwy. 17 outside of Eagle Grove.”
According to the USDA report on file, IPP (FSIS Inspection Program Personnel) repeatedly called and motioned for the employee performing the stick to stop the line and get the captive bolt gun, since that is where the bleed chain line stop button is located. The employee did not respond…so IPP immediately stopped the line. Another employee effectively rendered the hog unconscious.
“This disturbing report shows that this animal experienced a prolonged, agonizing death at Prestage Foods of Iowa,” wrote PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “PETA is calling for a criminal investigation on behalf of the pig who suffered at this facility and urging all compassionate members of the public who are disturbed by this cruelty to go vegan and help prevent more animals from suffering in slaughterhouses.”
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, which is a human-supremacist worldview. The group notes that pigs, sheep, cattle, chickens, and other animals feel pain and fear and value their lives, just as humans do, and that the only way to help prevent them from suffering in slaughterhouses is not to eat them.
Chief Executive Officer of Prestage Foods Jere Null admitted that they “did have an animal that the USDA deemed insensible,” but that Prestage Foods also met the procedural regulations put on them by the USDA.
Null went on to explain that the plant has 10 USDA inspectors on-site when they are operating.
“We have 100% live inspections and 100% processing inspections,” he said.
When it was discovered that the animal still had some sensation left, they stopped the line and it was slaughtered on-site.
“These things do happen…but the USDA has already taken their action against us to make sure we put the proper corrections in place,” said Null.
Null also explained that when this event happened, the USDA suspended operation, which can take anywhere from two to five hours, so the plant could and give a set of actions as how they plan to stop this from happening again in the future.
“In this particular case, an employee made a mistake…we have retrained all the employees…and the USDA will do increased audits,” Null said.
County Attorney Simonson said, “We are looking into the complaint that we received…no decision has been made yet at this time (as to whether or not charges will be filed).”
