PETA demands Stempien conduct criminal probe into “beating of pigs”

COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, otherwise known as PETA, has sent a letter to Branch County Prosecutor Zach Stempien which demands a criminal probe into an incident last winter at Clemens Food Group.

PETA calls the Clemens facility on Newton Road, “a local slaughterhouse” and they are asking Stempien to have his office and a law-enforcement agency if necessary to investigate and file applicable criminal charges against the individual who they say is responsible for the beating of pigs.

The letter was written by Daniel Paden who is the Vice President of Evidence Analysis in PETA’s Cruelty Investigations Department.

It says the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service documented the January 20 incident in reports that the agency recently made available to the public.

The report states an agent for the Food Safety and Inspection Service saw the worker “hitting hogs excessively” with a paddle.

It went on to say that the agent “observed the [suspect] raise his arm with the paddle at shoulder height, with his elbow bent and hit the pigs with force.”

The agent also stated that were multiple pigs within this group with marks about six to eight inches in size that resembled a rattle paddle mark which suggested other animals were struck before the FSIS official witnessed the worker’s behavior.

The letter concludes by saying, “This conduct may violate MCL § 750.50, as the documented acts aren’t generally accepted animal husbandry practices involving livestock otherwise exempt from prosecution. Please note that FSIS’ action carries no criminal or civil penalties and does not preempt criminal liability under state law for acts of cruelty to animals. Given that the FSIS hasn’t initiated a criminal prosecution of a licensed slaughterhouse for inhumane handling since at least 2007, charges under state law are these victims’ only chance at a measure of justice.”