Baby Cow Stabbed in the Heart at JJ Meat Co.; PETA Seeks Criminal Probe
For Immediate Release:
April 22, 2025
Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382
A just-released U.S. Department of Agriculture report revealed that a worker at the JJ Meat Co. slaughterhouse near Ripperdan knifed a conscious calf in the heart, prompting PETA to send a letter this morning to Madera County District Attorney Sally Moreno, urging her to investigate and file appropriate criminal charges against the perpetrator.
According to the report, on November 12, 2024, a federal inspector witnessed the stabbing, which caused the days-old calf to immediately lift his head and blink his eyes. Only after the inspector intervened did the worker then take action to end the calf’s suffering, by shooting him in the head.
“A baby cow’s brief time on earth was marked with horrific violence and pain, all to satisfy humans’ taste for veal,” says PETA Vice President of Legal Advocacy Daniel Paden. “PETA is calling for a criminal investigation on behalf of this calf and urges everyone to please go vegan to help spare others from suffering in slaughterhouses.”
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 Moreno follows.
April 22, 2025
The Honorable Sally O. Moreno
Madera County District Attorney
Dear Ms. Moreno:
I’m writing to request that your office (and a law-enforcement agency, as necessary) investigate and file applicable criminal charges against the JJ Meat Co. worker responsible for stabbing a conscious calf in the heart last November at 25699 Ave. 5 ½, near Ripperdan.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) documented the incident in reports that the agency recently made available to the public. (See attachment.) According to the report, on November 12, 2024, an FSIS inspector saw the slaughterhouse worker “stab a [very young] veal calf in the heart with a knife.” The conscious animal immediately lifted his head and blinked his eyes, according to the inspector. Only after the inspector informed the suspect of what had occurred did the worker end the calf’s misery by shooting him in the head.
The egregious abuse described above appears to violate Cal. Penal Code § 597(b), which prohibits anyone from causing a calf unnecessary or unjustifiable physical pain or suffering. California law affords this victim his only chance at a small measure of justice. We urge your office to seek it.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Daniel Paden
Vice President of Legal Advocacy
Cruelty Investigations Department
