PETA seeking video footage pertaining to alleged animal mistreatment

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. – Officials at PETA are seeking livestream video of a central Nebraska slaughterhouse after it says it obtained government reports of animal abuse.

According to PETA Vice President of Evidence Analysis Daniel Paden, the organization acquired reports documenting cows being beaten and two remaining conscious after being shot in the head at a JBS Foods processing plant in Grand Island.

PETA has sent a letter to JBS North American President of Global Operations Andre Nogueira asking for live video footage from the floor of the plant.

According to PETA officials, the government reports indicate abuse on five occasions during a period of time between August of 2021 through February of this year.

“This slaughterhouse is a notorious hell on Earth for animals, where cows have long endured terror while being beaten, repeatedly shot in the head, and more,” Paden said. “PETA is calling on JBS Foods to help prevent more egregious suffering by livestreaming video of its operations in Grand Island—and is reminding everyone that the only humane meal is a vegan one.”

JBS officials responded to questions about the validity of the claims by issuing an emailed statement. Read the full statement below:

At JBS, we are committed to the highest levels of animal welfare. Since 2019, we have invested significantly in our Grand Island animal handling facilities and a new state-of-the-art harvest floor. Temple Grandin helped JBS design the facility upgrades and has been on site to see and evaluate the new systems multiple times since construction.

We have an Animal Welfare Manager at all of our production facilities who is a Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO) trained humane handling specialist. Our team members receive animal welfare training, and in the unusual event that a procedure, guideline or regulation is violated, corrective action is taken immediately and preventive measures are implemented. In addition, we participate in third-party animal handling audits to evaluate our processes. 

We take our role to ensure the well-being of the animals in our care very seriously, and we have a zero-tolerance policy for animal mistreatment of any kind.