Slaughterhouse Faces More Scrutiny After Another Animal’s Agonizing Death

PETA Cites New Federal Report Showing That Worker at Masami Foods Slit Conscious Pig’s Throat

For Immediate Release:
February 20, 2018

Contact:
Audrey Shircliff 202-483-7382

Just months after Masami Foods Inc. violated federal regulations by shooting a cow three times in the head over the course of up to 15 minutes on November 1, a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report reveals that the slaughterhouse was cited again on February 6 after an inspector saw a worker slit a conscious pig’s throat as the animal—hanging upside down—gurgled, gasped, and tried to lift his or her head. In response, PETA sent a letter today calling on the Oregon Department of Agriculture to investigate apparent violations of state livestock-slaughter laws and, as appropriate, file criminal charges against Masami Foods and the worker or workers responsible for both incidents.

PETA previously alerted the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office to the November 1 incident—the agency declined to investigate Masami Foods, even though the USDA called that incident “egregious[ly] inhumane” and Oregon’s animal abuse statute makes it a crime to “recklessly” and “cruelly” cause an animal’s death.

“A slap on the wrist from the USDA didn’t prevent another animal from experiencing a terrifying and prolonged death at Masami Foods,” says PETA Senior Vice President of Cruelty Investigations Daphna Nachminovitch. “PETA is calling on Oregon authorities to investigate this facility and those who left conscious animals bleeding in certain agony.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—notes that other animals have a central nervous system and sense of self-preservation, just as humans do, and that the only way to prevent cows, pigs, chickens, and others from suffering in slaughterhouses is to go vegan.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.