Honk for Compassion! PETA’s ‘Hell on Wheels’ Pig Truck Urges Everyone to Leave Pigs in Peace

Talk about a road hog! PETA’s back behind the wheel with another “Hell on Wheels” mobile campaign—and this time, we’re honking for compassion for pigs. On a nationwide tour, our pig truck will make pit stops near restaurants, food festivals, and busy downtown areas to urge everyone to go vegan.

PETA’s drive-by campaign confronts passersby with images of pigs bound for slaughter and the sound of their terrified, panicked screams. It’s a harrowing reminder that these sensitive individuals suffer horrifically when the meat industry raises and kills them for their flesh.

Leave Pigs in Peace

Pigs are highly intelligent animals who have complex problem-solving skills and remarkable memories. These curious, social animals love to spend time with their loved ones, play games, bask in the sun, and explore the world around them. Like all our fellow animals, pigs can feel pain and fear—yet the meat industry violently slaughters about 130 million of them every year in the U.S. alone.

A family walking past the Hell on Wheels pig truck

On farms—even ones deceptively labeled as “humane” or “organic”—these outgoing, playful individuals spend their entire lives in cramped, filthy warehouses, where they can’t make nests for their babies, meaningfully socialize with others, or roll around in the mud.

From Gestation Crates to Hell’s Gate

Mother pigs (sows) in the meat industry spend most of their lives in gestation and farrowing crates so small that they can’t even turn around. Farmworkers repeatedly forcibly impregnate them until their bodies wear out—then they’re sent to slaughter.

Farms take piglets away from their distressed mothers shortly after birth and subject them to excruciating mutilations—such as tail docking, teeth clipping, and castration—without pain relief. The young pigs then spend their short lives in crowded pens on slabs of cold, slatted concrete amid their own feces and vomit—and sometimes among other pigs’ corpses.

The Highway to Hell

On transport trucks to a slaughterhouse, pigs endure a miserable journey, often over long distances in extreme heat or cold. Every year, more than a million pigs die during transport to slaughterhouses and at least 40,000 others sustain injuries. It’s common for pigs to arrive at a slaughterhouse dead or dying from heat exhaustion or even frozen to the side of a truck.

‘Humane Meat’ Is a Myth

No matter what a misleading label claims, there’s no way to “humanely” exploit and kill someone for food. Drivers transport pigs to slaughterhouses, where workers gas them to death or electrically stun them before slitting their throats and dunking them into scalding-hot water. Some pigs are scalded to death while they’re still able to feel.

Since 2024, PETA’s Hell on Wheels pig truck has visited over 90 cities.
  1. Montgomery, Alabama
  2. Opelika, Alabama
  3. Bakersfield, California
  4. Fresno, California
  5. Monterey, California
  6. Ridgecrest, California
  7. San Francisco, California
  8. Santa Cruz, California
  9. Santa Rosa, California
  10. Denver, Colorado
  11. Durango, Colorado
  12. Washington, D.C.
  13. Bethany Beach, Delaware
  14. Milford, Delaware
  15. Canton, Georgia
  16. Carrolton, Georgia
  17. Alpharetta, Georgia
  18. Athens, Georgia
  19. Columbus, Georgia
  20. Locust Grove, Georgia
  21. Macon, Georgia
  22. Newnan, Georgia
  23. Rome, Georgia
  24. Champaign, Illinois
  25. Chicago, Illinois
  26. Naperville, Illinois
  27. Peoria, Illinois
  28. Springfield, Illinois
  29. Bloomington, Indiana
  30. Evansville, Indiana
  31. Fort Wayne, Indiana
  32. Huntington, Indiana
  33. Indianapolis, Indiana
  34. Lafayette, Indiana
  35. Plymouth, Indiana
  36. Vincennes, Indiana
  37. Cedar Rapids, Iowa
  38. Davenport, Iowa
  39. Des Moines, Iowa
  40. Fort Dodge, Iowa
  41. Iowa City, Iowa
  42. Waterloo, Iowa
  43. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  44. Covington, Louisiana
  45. Lafayette, Louisiana
  46. Lake Charles, Louisiana
  47. Gretna, Louisiana
  48. Metairie, Louisiana
  49. New Orleans, Louisiana
  50. Cambridge, Maryland
  51. Salisbury, Maryland
  52. Austin, Minnesota
  53. Grand Rapids, Minnesota
  54. St. Paul, Minnesota
  55. Winona, Minnesota
  56. Hattiesburg, Mississippi
  57. Meridian, Mississippi
  58. Jefferson City, Missouri
  59. Kansas City, Missouri
  60. Springfield, Missouri
  61. St. Louis, Missouri
  62. Hastings, Nebraska
  63. Omaha, Nebraska
  64. Pahrump, Nevada
  65. Vineland, New Jersey
  66. Brooklyn, New York
  67. New York City, New York
  68. Akron, Ohio
  69. Cleveland, Ohio
  70. Mansfield, Ohio
  71. Toledo, Ohio
  72. Youngstown, Ohio
  73. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
  74. Tulsa, Oklahoma
  75. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  76. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  77. Anderson, South Carolina
  78. Greenville, South Carolina
  79. Rock Hill, South Carolina
  80. Simpsonville, South Carolina
  81. Spartanburg, South Carolina
  82. Austin, Texas
  83. Beaumont, Texas
  84. Dallas, Texas
  85. Fort Worth, Texas
  86. Houston, Texas
  87. West Hill Lakes, Texas
  88. St. George, Utah
  89. Richmond, Virginia
  90. West Allis, Wisconsin
  91. Cheyenne, Wyoming
Hell on Wheels pig tour map

Where Is the ‘Hell on Wheels’ Truck Heading Next?

CityDate
San Luis Obispo, CaliforniaMay 10, 2025
Modesto, CaliforniaMay 11, 2025
Chico, California & Redding, CaliforniaMay 12, 2025
Klamath Falls, Oregon May 15, 2025
Medford, Oregon & Grants Pass, OregonMay 16, 2025
Bend, OregonMay 17, 2025
Eugene, OregonMay 18, 2025
Salem, OregonMay 19, 2025
Olympia, WashingtonMay 22, 2025
Richland, WashingtonMay 23, 2025
Spokane, WashingtonMay 24, 2025
Moscow, IdahoMay 25, 2025
Kalispell, MontanaMay 26, 2025
Great Falls, MontanaMay 29, 2025
Missoula, MontanaMay 30, 2025
Butte, Montana & Helena, MontanaMay 31, 2025
Bozeman, MontanaJune 1, 2025
Billings, MontanaJune 2, 2025

The truck is packed with free leaflets that highlight interesting facts about pigs and how you can help them, and they include a QR code that people can scan to learn more about how pigs suffer for meat

Here’s How YOU Can Help Pigs

Every animal is someone with their own interests and needs. By going vegan, you can spare nearly 200 animals per year, help protect the environment, and improve your own health. Making the compassionate switch is easier than ever—and PETA will even help you do it. Check out our favorite vegan bacon and ham brands, and order our free vegan starter kit, which includes delicious vegan recipes, tips for eating out, and more:

Go Vegan!
white pig in tall grass

For more up-to-minute updates, follow PETA’s Bluesky account or find us on Threads or X.

GET PETA UPDATES
Stay up to date on the latest vegan trends and get breaking animal rights news delivered straight to your inbox!

By submitting this form, you’re acknowledging that you have read and agree to our privacy policy and agree to receive e-mails from us.

Get the Latest Tips—Right in Your Inbox
We’ll e-mail you weekly with the latest in vegan recipes, fashion, and more!

By submitting this form, you’re acknowledging that you have read and agree to our privacy policy and agree to receive e-mails from us.