People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, commonly known as PETA, is asking the Sherburne County Attorney’s Office to investigate a pig farm after a recent report of animal neglect.
The animal advocacy group sent a letter to Sherburne County Attorney Kathleen Heaney earlier this month, citing a U.S. Department of Agriculture report outlining malpractice at the Manthei Hog Farm near Elk River.
A veterinarian reportedly entered a pen where a pig with a rectal prolapse was being isolated with five other pigs who were unable to walk normally, according to the USDA report. There was, allegedly, red blood on the pen floor and two of the pigs, alongside the pig with the prolapse had blood on their rear and back legs.
The USDA report states the injuries were suffered because the farm failed to property house the animals, citing the pig’s pen-mates were allegedly biting at its wound.
Manthei Hog Farm corrected its USDA violation at the time of the inspection, the report states. The St. Cloud Times couldn’t reach anyone at the farm for comment.
PETA Vice President of Legal Advocacy Daniel Paden told the St. Cloud Times he believes this is a case that falls under Minn. Stat. § 343.21, which outlines different formats of animal neglect, such as inadequate shelter.
Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management: Walz announces departure of director
“We’re trying to fill that gap by notifying the local law enforcement agencies that this is what’s going on in their jurisdiction,” Paden said. “This also violates state law, arguably, and just because it’s a USDA-regulated facility doesn’t mean you can’t go on and enforce Minnesota law, right.”
“What we’re asking them to do in this instance is to give this animal a small measure of justice.”
The USDA’s latest report on the central Minnesota farm comes after a history of finding neglect at the facility. In 2015, the USDA report states the Manthei Hog Farm would shoot pigs with a gun, which according to the governmental agency is unacceptable because the euthanization method doesn’t guarantee minimized pain, distress or negative implications.
That same year, according to the report, Manthei Hog Farm was also cited by the USDA for feeding pigs directly off their enclosure’s concrete floor, where parasites and feces were present.
Kleis and the downtown baseball stadium: Kleis supports building baseball field in downtown St. Cloud at State of the City address
Despite often being raised for human consumption, Paden said pigs are intelligent animals that can comprehend pain, making it worthwhile to pursue a criminal investigation.
“We know that pigs suffer. They suffer just the same as the animals we call companions, and that many Americans share their homes with,” Paden said. “There’s been a lot of behavioral and psychological research done with pigs that shows that they are incredibly intelligent, that they’re just as intelligent as dogs.”
The Sherburne County Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the matter.
Corey Schmidt covers politics and courts for the St. Cloud Times. He can be reached at cschmidt@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: PETA asks Sherburne County attorney to file charges against pig farm