Livestock hauler seen kicking pigs off the back of the trailer leads to criminal investigation urged by PETA

Police are investigating an incident involving a livestock hauler outside of a slaughterhouse in Vermont over the summer. 

A US Department of Agriculture inspector reported an incident involving a truck driver unloading pigs from his trailer by kicking them in the head and neck and by shoving them off of the back at Vermont Packinghouse on June 3rd. The report included the observation that the pigs appeared to have heat stroke after being transported from a farm in New York for eight hours in a sun-heated trailer. 

The report was released as part of the USDA’s quarterly findings, prompting People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to call for a criminal probe into the incident. PETA sent Windsor County State’s Attorney Ward Goodenough a letter demanding action on November 26th. 

“The issuance of noncompliance reports and conversations with the establishment enabled the agency to address the incident,” a spokesperson for USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service wrote in an email to VTDigger News. 

Chief operating officer of Vermont Packinghouse, Nick Paschkov, has stated that the truck driver involved in the incident was a “third party hauler” and has since been permanently banned from the facility. 

“We fully recognize the gravity of this situation and remain dedicated to preventing future occurrences. Vermont Packinghouse continues to uphold its commitment to humane animal handling as a cornerstone of our operations and values,”

Springfield Police are currently investigating the incident.