MADERA  -  Armed with a damning U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report, PETA sent s letter today calling on the Madera County District Attorney's Office to investigate and, as appropriate, file criminal charges against JJ Meat Company and the worker or workers responsible for the botched stunning of a calf.

The letter follows a second report released just yesterday revealing that on April 25, workers at the slaughterhouse dragged a conscious goat by the back legs into the blood pit. According to the first USDA report, on April 3, an inspector discovered a calf who'd been improperly shot in the head crying out in the blood pit and attempting to stand up.

A worker then finally rendered the calf unconscious with a second shot. PETA notes that this incident may violate California Penal Code § 597 (b), which states that "every person who … tortures [or] torments … any animal … is … guilty of a crime." PETA further notes that federal officials had warned JJ Meat Company management about repairs and maintenance needed on its stunning equipment on five separate occasions since December 2017, yet the company failed to take steps to prevent this "egregious" violation. 

"JJ Meat Company cut corners and, as a result, a gentle calf endured a prolonged, agonizing, and terrifying death," says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. "PETA is calling for a criminal investigation on behalf of this calf and the members of the public who care about animals and want to prevent their suffering."