Feds See Cow Repeatedly Shot, Pig Kicked; PETA Seeks Criminal Charges

For Immediate Release:
February 6, 2023

Contact:
Nicole Meyer 202-483-7382

Following recently obtained U.S. Department of Agriculture reports documenting that at Fayette Packing Company near Eads, a worker kicked a lame, slow-moving pig twice and a cow was ineffectively shot in the head and left to cry out until a second blast ended the animal’s suffering, PETA sent a letter today to District Attorney General Mark E. Davidson urging him to investigate and file applicable criminal charges against those responsible.

“Fayette Packing Company is hell on Earth for animals, where a cow endured the pain and terror of multiple gunshots to the head and an already suffering pig was cruelly kicked,” says PETA Vice President Daniel Paden. “PETA is calling on the district attorney general to investigate these incidents and bring appropriate charges—and reminds everyone that the only humane meal is a vegan one.”

PETA points out that cows, pigs, sheep, chickens, and other animals feel pain and fear and value their lives, just as humans do. The group is pursuing charges under state law because federal officials haven’t prosecuted any inspected slaughterhouses for acts of abuse such as those at Fayette Packing Company since at least 2007.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information on PETA’s investigative newsgathering and reporting, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to Davidson follows.

February 6, 2023

The Honorable Mark E. Davidson

District Attorney General

District 25

Dear Mr. Davidson:

I hope this letter finds you well. I’m writing to request that your office (and a law-enforcement agency, as necessary) investigate and file applicable criminal charges against the individuals responsible for repeatedly kicking a lame pig and ineffectively shooting a cow in the head at Fayette Packing Company Inc., located at 16620 Hwy. 196 near Eads. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) documented the incidents in reports that the agency recently made available to the public.

On July 19, 2022, an FSIS inspector saw that a worker “lifted his foot and delivered two kicks to” a pig who was “lame and moving slowly.”

Then, on August 25, 2022, an FSIS inspector saw that a worker shot a cow in the head with a captive-bolt gun. Rather than being stunned, the cow was left standing and crying out. A second shot was needed to end the animal’s suffering.

This conduct may violate TN Code § 39-14-202 and does not represent the “usual and customary practices … accepted by colleges of agriculture or veterinary medicine” otherwise exempt from prosecution. Please note that FSIS’ action carries no criminal or civil penalties and does not preempt criminal liability under state law for acts of cruelty to animals.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Daniel Paden

Vice President of Evidence Analysis

Cruelty Investigations Department