Conscious Pig’s Throat Cut Twice After Being Shot Four Times at St. Landry Parish Slaughterhouse; PETA Seeks Criminal Probe

For Immediate Release:
April 21, 2026

Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7382

A disturbing U.S. Department of Agriculture report just obtained by PETA reveals that a pig remained conscious after a slaughterhouse worker shot the animal in the head repeatedly and cut their throat twice at Coastal Plains Meat Company outside Eunice. In response, PETA today sent an urgent letter to St. Landry Parish District Attorney Chad Pitre urging him to investigate and file appropriate criminal charges against the suspect.

According to the report, on April 7, operations were suspended at the facility after a federal inspector witnessed a worker shoot a pig in the head four times with a rifle, and—after the pig sat up—the worker forced the animal to the ground and cut their throat, causing the pig to cry out and attempt to stand. The worker kept the pig pinned down and cut their throat again, causing the animal to bleed to death.

“At this miserable slaughterhouse, a pig was subjected to a prolonged, agonizing death, suffering four blasts to the head before a worker held them down and slashed their throat twice,” says PETA Vice President of Legal Advocacy Daniel Paden. “PETA is calling for a criminal investigation on behalf of this animal and urges everyone to help prevent animals from suffering in slaughterhouses by please going vegan.”

PETA is pursuing charges under state law because federal officials haven’t prosecuted any inspected slaughterhouses for acts of abuse since at least 2007.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every 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 Pitre follows.

April 21, 2026

The Honorable Chad Pitre

District Attorney

St. Landry Parish

Via e-mail

Dear Mr. Pitre:

I hope this letter finds you well. I’d like to request that your office (and the proper local law-enforcement agency, as you deem appropriate) investigate and file suitable criminal charges against the Coastal Plains Meat Company worker responsible for shooting a pig in the head four times and then cutting the conscious animal’s throat twice on April 7 at its slaughterhouse located at 1044 LA-91 outside Eunice. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) documented the incident in the attached report, which states the following:

An establishment employee was observed placing a hog into the knock box and attempting to stun [the animal] using a .22 caliber rifle. The first shot did not render the hog insensible. The animal remained upright. Second and third shots were also ineffective. The hog continued to show signs of sensibility, such as eye movement and breathing. A fourth shot was discharged. The hog went down but was not fully insensible. When the knock box door was opened, the hog sat up, indicating [the animal] was still conscious. The employee physically forced the hog back down and proceeded to stick the animal [i.e., cut the animal’s throat]. During sticking, the hog vocalized and tried to rise, further demonstrating [the animal] was still conscious. The employee stuck the animal again while continuing to restrain [the animal]. The hog continued vocalizing until [the animal] lost consciousness due to apparent exsanguination.

This conduct appears to violate LSA-R.S. § 102.1(B)(1). Repeatedly shooting an animal and cutting a conscious animal’s throat do not constitute the standard agricultural processing practices that are exempt from prosecution. 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. 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