Update: New Violation at Nelson’s—Pig Repeatedly Shot

For Immediate Release:
October 21, 2019

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

PETA has just obtained a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture report revealing yet another violation of federal law at Nelson’s Meat Processing near Milton. On October 8, a worker shot a pig, leaving the animal standing and crying out, before a second shot rendered the pig unconscious. In response to this violation, which is at least the facility’s third since June, PETA is renewing its call for the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia to investigate and, as appropriate, file criminal charges against Nelson’s and the workers responsible for this series of botched slaughters.

“This pig’s suffering is the latest in a string of inept slaughters at this facility, and PETA is calling for a federal investigation before more gentle animals are forced to suffer behind Nelson’s walls,” says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “Anyone horrified to learn that a pig was left screaming in pain at a slaughterhouse can help prevent cruelty like this by going vegan.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, which is a human-supremacist worldview. The group previously asked the U.S. attorney to review violations of the Humane Methods of Livestock Slaughter Act following the botched slaughters of a lamb and another pig at Nelson’s.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

PETA’s letter to U.S. Attorney Michael B. Stuart follows.

October 21, 2019

The Honorable Michael B. Stuart

U.S. Attorney for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia

Dear Mr. Stuart,

I hope you’re doing well. I’m writing to follow up on my August 26, 2019, letter to you regarding repeated violations of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act at Nelson’s Meat Processing LLC, located at 2571 Yates Crossing Rd. in Milton (Cabell County). Since that correspondence—in which I let you know that slaughterhouse staff had violated the law twice this summer by shooting both a pig and a lamb in the head multiple times in botched slaughter attempts—the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has documented another violation of law there.

On October 8, a worker botched the shooting of a restrained pig, leaving the injured animal standing and crying out before a second shot rendered him or her unconscious. The FSIS report regarding this violation, which is at least the facility’s third since June, is attached for your convenience.

These persistent violations of federal law plainly illustrate that FSIS enforcement actions are likely insufficient to deter future infractions at this facility and that criminal prosecution is in the best interests of the animals killed there as well as the public. We respectfully ask that you bring appropriate criminal charges against those responsible for these violations—and for the animals’ suffering—at Nelson’s Meat Processing.

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

Sincerely,

Colin Henstock

Assistant Manager of Investigations

cc:    Scott C. Safian, Director, ELD, OIEA, FSIS