New Undercover Investigation Reveals Shocking Abuse of Pigs Killed for Pork Products

For Immediate Release:
November 14, 2008

Contact:
Nicole Matthews 757-622-7382

Cedar Rapids, Iowa -- To illustrate the immense suffering and routine cruelty that pigs endure before they are made into ham and bacon, two pig sculptures--confined to metal stalls just as pigs on factory farms are--will be displayed on a busy intersection in Cedar Rapids on Saturday. This display--part of PETA's "Think Before You Eat" campaign--comes on the heels of PETA's new undercover exposé of an Iowa pig farm that supplies Hormel. The investigation uncovered routine, intentional abuse: Investigators documented that workers kicked injured pigs, beat pigs with metal rods, and shocked pigs with electric prods--sometimes in the face. Workers killed piglets by slamming their heads against the floor. One worker shoved a cane into a pig's vagina.

PETA protesters will also be screening footage from that investigation and urging people to forgo factory-farmed meat.

On today's factory farms, sows used for breeding are kept virtually immobilized for months at a time in cramped, concrete stalls with metal bars. They are given drugs to make them grow quickly, which frequently results in lameness. Workers cut off piglets' tails, clip their teeth with pliers, and castrate male piglets--all without anesthetics. Finally, at the slaughterhouse, pigs are hung upside-down and bled to death, often while they are still conscious.

"If people knew about the suffering that goes into every package of pork, they'd lose their lunch," says PETA campaign coordinator Lindsay Rajt. "Anyone who eats hot dogs, ham, sausages, or bacon from factory farms is supporting abuse. The best way for people to avoid this senseless cruelty is to avoid meat from factory farms and go vegetarian."

Where: Fareway Grocery Store, 4220 16th Ave. S.W., Cedar Rapids
When: Saturday, November 15, 12 noon