Kategorie: Animals

Today, after a hearing in Suffolk General District Court, Zachary Taylor Edwards told PETA that he quit his job—and is considering never hauling live animals again—after he crashed a truck carrying pigs to a Smithfield Foods slaughterhouse on May 24, killing 12 of them and injuring a dozen more so severely that they had to be put out of their misery onsite. Although a PETA video of the crash’s aftermath shows police officers concluding that Edwards “fell asleep” or “was going too fast,” Judge Nicole A. Belote dismissed the reckless driving charge against him.

“The justice system failed the pigs who died agonizingly on the Suffolk roadside, but Mr. Edwards can still help by permanently hitting the brakes on transporting live animals,” says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “PETA points out that everyone has the power to help prevent such accidents by choosing not to buy flesh foods.”

Edwards drove a tractor-trailer off Godwin Boulevard into a ditch, over a culvert, and across an entrance road; struck a road sign; and then drove into another ditch, where the tractor-trailer rolled over. PETA’s video shows a Smithfield Foods worker commanding others to grab a “hot shot” so as to electroshock the surviving pigs to force them onto a replacement truck that would continue on to the slaughterhouse. Eighteen trucks hauling live pigs to that slaughterhouse have crashed, including four in 2020 alone. In response to PETA’s request, the Virginia Department of Transportation is now studying why nine of the trucks wrecked on Godwin Boulevard.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information about PETA’s investigative newsgathering and reporting, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

The post Truck Driver Who Wrecked Stops Hauling Animals appeared first on PETA.

A dozen pigs were killed and another 12 were left so mangled and bloody that they had to be put out of their misery onsite. Pigs were screaming. “That’s probably … a broke pig … laying there,” one responding officer observed at the scene of a crash involving a truck on its way to the Smithfield Foods slaughterhouse in Virginia on May 24, driven by Zachary Taylor Edwards. This is the sort of suffering that Smithfield Foods–bound drivers have been repeatedly responsible for. But today, after his hearing in Suffolk General District Court, Edwards told PETA that he quit his job—and is considering never hauling live animals again.

In body-camera video obtained by PETA, police officers concluded that Edwards “fell asleep” or “was going too fast.” Footage of the crash’s aftermath shows a Smithfield worker commanding others to grab a “hot shot” in order to electroshock surviving pigs and force them onto a replacement truck to continue their harrowing journey to the slaughterhouse.

This wreck compounded the stress and terror of animals who had already been bred, born, and raised in nightmare conditions. Once at the slaughterhouse, workers likely hanged the surviving pigs upside down and slit their throats. Edwards—a husband and father who described the wreck as “scary”—has set an example for other truck drivers by quitting his job. By hitting the brakes on transporting live animals altogether and permanently, he would pave the way for others to follow suit.

The video above also recounts how 18 trucks hauling live pigs to the same Smithfield slaughterhouse have crashed, including those involved in four wrecks just in 2020. In response to PETA’s request, the Virginia Department of Transportation is now studying why nine of them wrecked on one particular Suffolk, Virginia, street.

Will Edwards pledge never to haul live animals again, for everyone’s sake?

Only time will tell. For himself, his family, and animals, we hope Edwards will make the right decision. Anyone else disturbed by animals suffering in trucks and on the roadside—or in slaughterhouses—can take action, too: Go vegan. Click below to let PETA help get you on your way with a free copy of our vegan starter kit:

Order a FREE Vegan Starter Kit

The post Body Cam Video Exposes Pigs’ Torment Following Fatal Wreck: ‘That’s Probably … a Broke Pig … Laying There’ appeared first on PETA.

“Feel the beets. Lose the meats.” That’s the vegan-positive message from PETA and legendary music producer Jermaine Dupri that’s displayed on a new billboard in the Big Apple, and the animal rights group will be giving out free seitan BBQ wings under the ad in Times Square on Sunday. The hip-hop legend first went vegan over a decade ago and praises the lifestyle for improving his health and providing an energy boost.

When:    Sunday, September 19, 3 p.m.

Where:    1500 Broadway, New York

“Whether it’s a slice of seitan or a bowl of beets, vegan food spares gentle animals slaughter,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA’s can’t-miss billboards should strike a chord with anyone who cares about animals and wants to feel their best.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview.

For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

The post ‘Gotta Getcha’ … to Go Vegan! PETA Giveaway to Kick Off Jermaine Dupri Ad appeared first on PETA.

PETA supporters in Bavarian costumes will offer festivalgoers a splendid sausage surprise by giving away vegan bratwurst outside Oktoberfest on Saturday to encourage everyone to say, “Prost!” to pig- and planet-friendly vegan meats.

When:    Saturday, September 18, 2 p.m.

Where:    At the intersection of Ninth and Walnut streets, Cincinnati

“PETA’s tasty vegan bratwursts will have revelers dancing the Schuhplattler with light feet and light consciences,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “We encourage everyone to pig out in more ways than one!”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview.

For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

The post A First! Vegan Bratwurst Binge at Oktoberfest appeared first on PETA.

Tomorrow, a shimmering “mermaid” with PETA will pass out The Rabbit Hole’s celebrated vegan crab cakes—which are covered with crispy breadcrumbs, fragrant Cajun spices, and a house-made remoulade—for free to beachgoers. The event coincides with two splashy new billboards in Miami and Fort Lauderdale that ask everyone to recognize animals as individuals and go vegan.

When:    Thursday, September 16, 12 noon

Where:    At the intersection of E. Las Olas and Fort Lauderdale Beach boulevards, Fort Lauderdale

“Crabs feel pain and fear when they’re torn apart or boiled alive, just as humans would,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “And because fish-free options are humane and cholesterol-free, PETA reminds everyone that vegan eating benefits us all.”

A PETA investigation into a crustacean slaughterhouse revealed that live crabs were impaled, torn apart, and decapitated—even as their legs continued to move. Chefs typically place live crabs into pots of boiling water while they’re still conscious. Fish slowly suffocate or are crushed to death when they’re dragged from the ocean in huge nets, and the throats and stomachs of those who survive are cut open on the decks of fishing boats. More fish are killed for food each year—billions in U.S. waters alone—than all other animals combined.

PETA’s billboards are at these locations:

• 6593 FL-822, Fort Lauderdale
• I-95 exit for I-41/S.W. Seventh Street and Brickell Avenue, Miami

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat” and which opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview—notes that today, many faux-fish options are available, including Gardein’s Golden Fishless Filets, Good Catch’s Plant-Based Tuna, New Wave Foods’ new plant-based shrimp, and Sophie’s Kitchen’s Vegan Crab Cakes. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

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