Feds Document Another Cow Repeatedly Shot in the Head at Pudliner Packing

For Immediate Release:
August 25, 2020

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

PETA has obtained a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report revealing a recent violation of federal law at Pudliner Packing outside Johnstown. In response, we sent a letter this morning calling on the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania to file criminal charges against the facility and the workers responsible for repeatedly shooting a cow in the head while she remained conscious—as well as three prior violations of the Humane Methods of Livestock Slaughter Act. The cow remained standing after the first two rifle shots and continued looking around after the third. A fourth shot finally rendered her unconscious.

“This most recent violation shows that Pudliner Packing either can’t or won’t comply with federal law designed to prevent the prolonged suffering of animals,” says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “PETA is renewing its call for a federal investigation into this slaughterhouse and urging everyone upset by the agony this animal endured to leave cows off their plate and go vegan today.”

Pudliner Packing was cited by the USDA three times between July 2018 and January 2020 after two cows and a pig remained conscious through repeated shots to the head and one of the cows remained conscious when her throat was cut.

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 cows, pigs, sheep, 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.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

PETA’s letter to U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady follows.

August 25, 2020

The Honorable Scott W. Brady

United States Attorney

Western District of Pennsylvania

Dear Mr. Brady,

I hope this letter finds you well. To follow up on our February 10 correspondence regarding incidents in which workers at Pudliner Packing outside of Johnstown shot cows and a pig repeatedly while the animals remained conscious and crying out and cut the throat of a conscious cow, I’m writing to make you aware that on August 11, workers there shot a cow four times, which left the animal standing after the first two shots and still looking around after the third. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) report regarding this latest incident is attached for your convenience.

It is clear that four years of FSIS enforcement actions have not deterred violations at this facility and that criminal prosecution must be given urgent and serious consideration. We respectfully ask that your office include this latest incident in your review of this matter.

Please let us know what we might do to assist you. Thank you for your time and for the difficult work that you do.

Sincerely,

Daniel Paden

Vice President of Evidence Analysis