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Woman will go to trial for giving water to pigs
#1
Some of you will remember the story of Anita who founded Toronto Pig Save. On a very hot day she gave water from a bottle to pigs in a truck heading to the slaughterhouse. The pigs were clearly suffering.

She was charged with mischief. Now there has been a preliminary hearing and she will have a trial next August. She could end up sentenced to 10 years in jail.
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentar...water.html

The video is good.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/n...-1.3343228

This article is a negative reaction to her. You can see how strong the feelings are.
http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&e...2c0ZSuVdrw

Maybe it is true that the real problem is the slaughterhouse situation(it is more than that), but does that in any way make it wrong for people to ease the suffering of a pig.
Why is it so wrong to want the animals to suffer less before they die.

It is not wrong to want to ease their suffering. We can't change the system right now, but we can give water to a thirsty pig.
It doesn't speak highly of our legal system that she was charged and even worse they have set a trial date.
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Catherine

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#2
I personally, am disgusted by this outcome!

You are right....why would they be so threatened that someone wants to ease the suffering of a creature in such dire circumstances.

I guess it is "against the law"  much as giving water to a person in a cattle truck travelling to a concentration camp, would have been in Nazi Germany!

A mischief! Oh my goodness. Poor woman, bless her heart. I think she has a good following though.
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#3
It still has to go to trial and who knows what will happen. I can't picture a jury finding her guilty. If they do I can't believe a judge would send he to jail. If it happens she will be a hero and I think people will stand by her. She will become a symbol for animal rights people.
If they think it through, they don't want her in jail. She can do a lot from a jail cell.

I am hoping that this makes the public aware of how animals are treated, in particular how they are transported to slaughter.
The image of the thirsty pigs has been seen by many people. The trial will make it even more viewed.  I will keep you posted as I hear things.

I still can't believe they are charging her for giving water to thirsty pigs.
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Catherine

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#4
Thanks for the update on this story. The lady deserves a medal, not prosecution.

The negative article you quoted above, Catherine, does contain this misleading point, however:
"I’ve even seen people bite into a double-bacon-burger with cheese while tweeting their outrage."

I seriously doubt the veracity of this statement, unless the writer was in a fast-food restaurant at that exact moment and was secretly glancing over the shoulder of someone else tweeting - possibly itself also illegal. I think that the writer is just trying to "make a point": that it is illogical to worry about giving water to pigs when you are willing for those same animals to be killed a short while afterwards, in a cruel and frightening environment (the slaughter house).

The moral integrity of the lady who gave water to the pigs is not in any doubt. She does not eat meat. But in any case, even in the case of tweeters who do eat meat, their argument is not invalid. It is perfectly reasonable to want to reduce suffering prior to slaughter. In just the same way, I do not have a problem with meat eaters who campaign to abolish factory farming. Any reduction in suffering is progress.

I hope that the jury will find her not guilty (giving water is not mischief; it is compassion). This should then be followed by a claim for false arrest.
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#5
I agree, LPC.
Even if meat eaters wish to eat the pigs, that is no excuse for treating them with zero compassion prior to slaughter. All the time they live they are capable of feeling suffering. And to an animal, who lives in the moment. a long journey in a truck at the end, without water or any comfort must have seemed endless.

I am with you on the "wrongful arrest" point. This caring woman should NEVER have been arrested. Maybe given a caution? If that. It is plainly obvious what she was doing. She wasn't causing a nuisance, just helping those pigs. If she held up traffic for a few minutes, or anything which might have endangered road users, then that is not a 'jail-worthy' offence as far as I know!

Something has gone on here which is very mean and dark! We, the public, will show our feelings about it!
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#6
This case could be a real test case. The reason why she gave the water will have to come out in court. They would have to verify the conditions in which  the pigs were shipped. This is not a matter of eating meat or not. The reporter is way off base. The real issue is responding to animal cruelty. If she had helped a dog in a locked car she would be a hero. She could even have broken the car window.  Instead she gave water.

It shouldn't matter what was going to happen to the pigs later. She was responding to what she saw at the time. It is well documented that many animals shipped to slaughter arrive dead from the conditions. This will have to come out in court.
By charging her, they will have put it on record as to  the conditions and consequences of shipping animals to slaughter.

They think they are punishing an animal rights activist, but they are really giving publicity to dirty secrets of the meat industry. Most people are not aware of how animals are treated. This will give much needed publicity about the issue.

It will be interesting to see how public opinion is changed by this.  I think many people will see the absurdity of charging her for giving water to thirsty pigs.  Under Canadian law she would have been better to kill the truck driver. She could then plea bargain and get a 5 year sentence, probably all of it served under house arrest.
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Catherine

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