Conscious, Crying Steer’s Throat Cut Repeatedly at Cochise County Slaughterhouse; PETA Pursues Criminal Probe

For Immediate Release:
September 3, 2025

Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382

A just-released U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report reveals that a steer remained conscious after staff shot him in the head and cut his throat at Cattlemen’s Processing in Cochise County. In response, PETA sent a letter today to Cochise County Attorney Lori Zucco urging her to investigate and file suitable criminal charges against the slaughterhouse and the staff responsible.

According to the report, on August 20, operations were suspended at the facility after a federal inspector witnessed staff shoot a steer in the head with a captive bolt gun, hoist the still-conscious individual in the air, and repeatedly cut his throat—even as he cried out—until he bled to death.

“Cattlemen’s Processing is responsible for the prolonged and agonizing death of this steer, who was still conscious and crying out as an employee hacked away at his throat,” says PETA Vice President of Legal Advocacy Daniel Paden. “PETA is calling for a criminal investigation on behalf of this steer and urges everyone to please go vegan to help spare other animals from suffering in slaughterhouses.”

Cattlemen’s Processing has a record of failing to comply with federal law, including repeatedly botching the shooting of cows, leaving animals with no water or undrinkable frozen water, having dangerous ice-covered pen floors, and allowing a cow to be cut by a sharp, broken hinge. PETA is asking the Cochise County Attorney to intervene because the USDA hasn’t initiated a criminal prosecution of any inspected slaughterhouses for acts of abuse since at least 2007.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat or abuse in any other way”—points out thatEvery Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness and free vegan starter kits for anyone thinking of making the switch. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to Zucco follows.

September 3, 2025

The Honorable Lori Zucco

Cochise County Attorney

Dear Ms. Zucco:

I hope this letter finds you well. 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 Cattlemen’s Processing LLC and the staff responsible for repeatedly cutting a conscious, crying steer—causing the animal to bleed to death—on August 20 at its slaughterhouse located at 1081 E. Birch Rd. outside Cochise. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) documented the incident in the attached report, which states the following:

[T]he Consumer Safety Inspector (CSI) and Front Line Supervisor (FLS) observed [Redacted] Employee stun a horned steer with a hand-held captive bolt device. While the animal was being hoisted, both the FLS and the CSI observed that the animal displayed eye tracking behavior. When IPP shone a flashlight, they observed the animal’s eye moving away from the light. [Redacted] Employee, then proceeded to stick the steer without verifying the signs of consciousness. In response to the cut, the steer started to loudly vocalize while continuing to show eye tracking. [Redacted employee] continued to make cuts on the conscious animal without conducting another stunning attempt, which eventually led to the animal losing consciousness from exsanguination.^[1]

This conduct appears to violate A.R.S. § 13-2910(A). It is not exempt from prosecution pursuant to A.R.S. § 13-2910(C), since killing a conscious steer by repeatedly cutting the animal’s neck is not permitted by Title 3 (but rather prohibited by A.R.S. § 3-2016) and the facility is not regulated by the Arizona Department of Agriculture. Importantly, FSIS’ action carries no criminal or civil penalties and does not preempt criminal liability under state law for slaughterhouse workers who perpetrate acts of cruelty to animals.^[2]

Given that the FSIS has not initiated a criminal prosecution of a licensed slaughterhouse for inhumane handling since at least 2007, charges under state law are this victim’s only chance at a measure of justice.

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

Sincerely,

Colin Henstock

Associate Director of Project Strategy

[1]FSIS Acting District Manager Gregory M. Abreu, D.V.M., Notice of Suspension, Cattlemen’s Processing, LLC (August 21, 2025) https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media_file/documents/M20866-NOS-08212025.pdf. Last accessed August 29, 2025.

[2]See Nat’l. Meat Assoc. v. Harris, 132 S. Ct. 965, 974 n.10 (2012) (“States may exact civil or criminal penalties for animal cruelty or other conduct that also violates the [Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA)]. See [21 U.S.C.] §678; cf. Bates v. Dow Agrosciences, LLC, 544 U.S.

431, 447 (2005), holding that a preemption clause barring state laws ‘in addition to or different’ from a federal Act does not interfere with an ‘equivalent’ state provision. Although the FMIA preempts much state law involving slaughterhouses, it thus leaves some room for the States to regulate.”).