Animal cruelty on hog farm
Bayard, IA (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, Sep 16, 2008
County: Greene
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged:
» Greg W. Hackler
» Shawn Lyons
» Shelly A. Mauch
» Richard M. Ralston
» Alan B. Rettig
» Jordan M. Anderson
Case Updates: 3 update(s) available
The Greene County Sheriff is investigating charges of animal cruelty at a hog confinement near Bayard. PETA -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals -- sent an undercover investigator into the operation. A video PETA released Tuesday shows animals being severely mistreated.
Greene County Sheriff Tom Heater saw the video Tuesday afternoon. "It's shocking," Heater says. "I mean, any of that is definitely unscaled for that I saw on the video."
On Wednesday, Heater and his staff began interviewing employees of the hog operation. "We've been in touch with management. They've been cooperative," Heater says. "We will take the evidence that we come up with and we'll definitely go from there with what we have."
Heater's office has never before had complaints of animal cruelty "to this degree," and he is getting legal advice from state officials on how to proceed with the case. The hog confinement operation had a change in ownership in mid-August. "It'll complicate it just to where we sort the dates out," the sheriff says. "It shouldn't complicate with any employees as to who they were working for at the time. It could make a difference with who the managers were at the time."
Animal cruelty is a misdemeanor, not a felony in Iowa. However, an aggravated misdemeanor conviction on animal cruelty charges could bring up to two years in prison and a fine of as high as $5000. "We would hope by this time next week to have a real good handle on it and see where we're at with possible charges," Sheriff Heater says.
A spokesman for the Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers says the video images of mistreated pigs were "sickening" and the group called for a criminal investigation of the Bayard operation. PETA has called on consumers to quit buying things like hot dogs, ham, sausage and bacon as that's the kind of meat that comes from large-scale hog confinements like the one near Bayard where the video was recorded.
Case UpdatesTrial will be delayed for at least one person accused of abusing hogs at a Greene County farm in western Iowa.
Shelly Mauch was slated to stand trial on Thursday for animal cruelty, but County Attorney Nick Martino says it will be delayed until at least next month.
Mauch was one of six people arrested last October after an animal rights group released an undercover video that showed pigs being abused at a MowMar Farms.
Four others are scheduled for trial on Feb. 24, but Martino expects those will be delayed too.
Another person charged in the case, Shawn Lyons, pleaded guilty to animal cruelty earlier this month.
Minnesota-based MowMar has said that it no longer employs the worker. | Source: kcci.com - Feb 12, 2009
Update posted on Feb 13, 2009 - 10:04PM |
A man who pleaded guilty to abusing hogs at a Greene County farm has been sentenced to six months probation.
Shawn Lyons pleaded guilty to animal cruelty last week. He was 1 of 6 people arrested on livestock abuse and neglect charges last fall.
The arrests came after the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals released an undercover video that showed pigs being abused at the MowMar Farms facility in western Iowa.
The Greene County attorney's office says Lyons' sentence prohibits him from working with animals. He also was fined $625.
Officials say new trial dates are expected to be set for later this year for others charged in the case.
Minnesota-based MowMar has said that it no longer employees any of the workers accused of abuse. | Source: KTIV - Jan 22, 2009
Update posted on Feb 13, 2009 - 10:01PM |
Six individuals ranging in age from 18 to 60 have been charged with animal abuse crimes following an investigation at a hog confinement facility in Bayard, Iowa that contracts with Hormel Foods.
On Tuesday, the Greene County Sheriff and Greene County Attorney's Office completed their investigation into a complaint of animal cruelty reported on Sept. 15 by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) that took place at a hog confinement facility located in southwestern Greene County. The owners of the facility are MowMar of Fairmont, Minn. and the site is managed by Suidae Health and Production.
PETA supplied the sheriff's office with taped incidents of abuse, which reportedly took place at the facility last summer and which was documented by undercover employees who were working for PETA. A number of present and past employees have been interviewed regarding this matter.
MowMar confirmed Wednesday that none of the defendants are still working at the facility.
Charged in this matter are as follows:
• Jordan M. Anderson, 26, of Audubon, Iowa, a former on-site manager: two counts of aiding and abetting livestock abuse, an aggravated misdemeanor, and one count of simple misdemeanor livestock neglect,
• Greg W. Hackler, 18, of Jefferson, Iowa: two counts of livestock abuse,
• Shawn M. Lyons, 35, of Bayard: one count of livestock neglect,
• Shelly A. Mauch, 34, of Scranton, Iowa: one count of livestock neglect,
• Richard M. Ralston, 27, of Bayard: five counts of livestock abuse,
• Alan B. Rettig, 60, of Scranton: five counts of livestock abuse
Warrants have been issued for the aforementioned defendants and once arrested will have their initial appearance before the Greene County Magistrate.
Under Iowa law, an aggravated misdemeanor carries a maximum penalty of up to two years in prison and a minimum $625 fine or a maximum fine of $6,250. A simple misdemeanor carries up to a maximum of 30 days in the county jail and a minimum $60 fine or a maximum fine of $625.
MowMar released a statement following the release of the defendant's names and charges.
"All six employees charged by the Greene County Sheriff and Attorney are no longer employed at the farm. MowMar owners and management will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement and review the findings from the Sheriff's Office investigation. Further, based on new evidence, Suidae Health & Production, the farm management firm, has terminated the manager of the farm. All existing and new employees receive extensive and ongoing training to ensure that our 'zero-tolerance policy' with respect to mistreatment or abuse of farm animals is upheld. MowMar shares the goal of ensuring that all animals managed by our operations are treated in a humane manner, guided by policies that meet the highest legal, ethical and industry standards for animal husbandry." | Source: Austin Daily Herald - Oct 23, 2008
Update posted on Feb 13, 2009 - 9:58PM |
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