For immediate release:
May 3, 2021
Contact:
David Pearl 202-483-7382
Sioux Center, Iowa – PETA received USDA reports revealing recent violations of the law at Sioux-Preme Packing Co. outside the Sioux Center. In response, the group sent a letter this morning asking Su County Attorney Thomas Kunstlu to address the matter and, if necessary, bring animal cruelty charges against the plant and responsible workers.
On April 8, the inspector discovered that a pig that had been inadequately stunned had been lifted upside down and were struggling to heal. The pig could have been immersed alive and conscious in hot water if the federal inspector had not stepped in and asked the employee to stun the animal. The worker then shot the pig with a bolt pistol in the wrong area of the head, and the injured animal remained conscious until a second shot was fired.
The slaughterhouse was also mentioned in connection with an incident on November 5, 2020, in which two workers shot a shot down pig four times before the animal lost consciousness, and the report notes that the pig remained “agitated” and tried to flee after being shot.
“These alarming reports show that pigs have experienced a long painful death at Sioux-Preme Packing,” says PETA Senior Vice President Daphne Nachminovic. “PETA is calling for a criminal investigation into the pigs affected at this site and urging all compassionate members of the public concerned about this cruelty to go vegan and help prevent more animals from suffering in slaughterhouses.”
PETA, whose motto is in part that “the animals are not ours to eat” – opposes specisism, a worldview focused on human excellence. The group notes that pigs, chickens, cows, sheep and other animals feel pain and fear and value their lives just like humans, and that the best way to prevent them from suffering in slaughterhouses is not to eat them.
For more information visit PETA.org or subscribe to the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram…
This is followed by a letter from PETA Kunstle.
May 3, 2021
The Honorable Thomas Kunstl
Su County Attorney
Dear Mr. Kunstle,
I hope this letter will correct you. I would like to ask your office (and relevant local law enforcement agencies, if you deem appropriate) to investigate and bring appropriate criminal charges against Sioux-Preme Packing Co. and workers responsible for the pigs’ repeated head shots, including one who was found awake after being shackled and hauled upside down – in two recent incidents at a slaughterhouse located at 4241 US 75 Ave. outside the Sioux Center. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has documented the incidents in attached reports, which state the following:
April 8: “[T]he is SPHV [FSIS Supervisory Public Health Veterinarian] … I noticed a market hog on the rope, which bends from side to side and kicks [his or her] front legs. When the SPHV approached the pig, he noticed that the blood was not coming from the pig sternum, and after looking closely, he noticed that the pig … was not stuck …. The pig was constantly trying [him- or herself], climb [his or her] head from side to side in a controlled manner with some rotation. SPHV noticed that the eyes were wide open and bloodshot. SPHV checked the palpebral reflex, it was present. By that time, [an] an employee was on hand to initiate a stun with a hand held captive bolt (HHCB). The pig was constantly trying [him or herself], climb [his or her] head in a controlled manner. The first stun was in the midline between the ears, which was about 1.5 inches higher than the junction of the two lines drawn between each ear and the opposite eye. [Redacted] … Arrived [FSIS staff] showed him that the pig had not been properly stunned and that the employee [had] tried to stun the animal. The HHCB stun officer held the pistol with both hands without any additional restraint or assistance. The SPHV could see the HHCB rod between the scraper and the device after the second shot. An effective second stunning attempt was made. ”one
November 5: “There were two pigs in the alley. [who] did not get up. … One of the employees of the establishment arrived with a manual shutter. IPP [Inspection Program Personnel] watched as … the employee loads the manual shutter and tries to stun one of the pigs without any restrictions. The first attempt at stunning resulted in the appearance of an agitated pig in consciousness. Immediately, an employee of the establishment grabbed a second pre-loaded portable bolt and attempted a second stunning. A second stunning attempt resulted in the pig being conscious and IPP watched as the pig sat on [his or her] front and trying to escape from the employee. The IPP approached the front of the pig to inspect the stun area and noticed 2 wounds slightly overlapping in the midline, with the upper wound matching a line drawn from the lateral angle of the palpebral fissure of both eyes. The pig couldn’t get up [his or her] hind legs. BUT [second] The officer grabbed the first hand-held captive device, loaded it, and stunned it for the third time. The third stunning attempt resulted in the pig being conscious [who] tried to leave, turning around and turning to face in the opposite direction. IN [second] A fourth stun was performed by a staff member using the same hand-held device with captive bolts, causing the pig to become unconscious. ”2
This behavior appears to violate Iowa Code § 717.2 (1) (c). It is important to note that FSIS action does not invalidate state criminal liability for slaughterhouse workers who commit acts of cruelty to animals.3
Please let us know what we can do to help you. Thank you for your attention and for the hard work you are doing.
Sincerely,
Colin Henstock
Assistant Investigation Manager
1FSIS District 25, Manager Dr. Dawn Sprouls, Suspension notice, Sioux-Preme Packing Co. (April 9, 2021) https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media_file/2021-04/m5537-nos-04092021.pdf.
2FSIS District 25, Manager Dr. Dawn Sprouls, Notice of Intended Performance, Sioux-Preme Packing Co. (November 6, 2020) https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media_file/2021-02/m5537-noie-11062020.pdf.
3See Nat’l. Meat Assoc. v. Harris, 132 C. Ct. 965, 974 n.10 (2012) (“… states may impose civil or criminal sanctions for cruelty to animals or other conduct that also violates [Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA)]… See [21 U.S.C.] §678; Wed Bates vs. Dow Agrosciences, Ltd, 544 US 431, 447 (2005) (ruling that a preemptive clause prohibiting state laws “in addition to or different from” federal law does not conflict with a “equivalent” state provision). While FMIA is ahead of many state slaughterhouse laws, it leaves some room for regulation in the states. “)