While we see many instances of people campaigning for a more humane treatment of pet animals, it’s rare to find similar projects for farm animals.
A trial happening in Canada has been getting all the attention, because it deals with this exact issue: How we should treat farm animals.
Anita Krajnc, an animal rights activist in Burlington, Ontario, is the one standing in trial. She’s currently charged with criminal mischief, and may face jail time for providing water to thirsty pigs on the way to slaughter.
Anita is part of the group called Toronto Pig Save, which regularly waits at various intersections for pig trucks that are on their way to slaughterhouses. When the trucks stop, activists approach the vehicles to provide the animals with water or food.
On this particular day, Anita was doing the usual. When she saw the truck full of pigs stop at an intersection, Anita walked over to check if the animals are doing ok.
Over a hundred pigs were panting hard in the middle of a hot summer day, so Anita proceeded to provide them with some water.
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When the truck driver, Jeffrey Veldjesgraaf, found Anita giving water to the pigs, he immediately got out of the vehicle.
And the video shows that their conversation quickly got very intense.
“Don’t give them anything!” shouts the driver. But, Anita refuses to stop giving water to the pigs, saying “Have some compassion!” to the driver.
The driver then replies by saying, “You know what, these are not humans!”
He also snaps at her, “You do it again, and I’ll slap it out of your hands.”
Even when he threatens Anita by telling her that he’s going to call the police, Anita does not seem to back down.
So, the driver retreats back to his truck and drives away.
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One day after this incident took place, the pigs’ owner Eric Van Boekel filed a complaint with the police. After a quick investigation, Anita was arrested for pouring an ‘unknown liquid’ into the trailer.
Now, Anita is on trial, and if found guilty, Anita faces up to 10 years of jail time or a maximum of $5,000 fine.
In trial, Jeffrey testified that he was transporting 190 pigs, but admitted that he didn’t give them any water during the entire trip, which took about an hour and half.
Jeffrey did say that the pigs were given some water as soon as they reached the destination, though.
Regardless of the legality of Anita’s action, news about her trial resulted in a crowded courtroom.
In fact, the courtroom was so full that the judge had to permit people to sit on the floor in order to accommodate everyone.
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What’s your opinion on this issue?