Toronto Pig Save cofounder Anita Krajnc is on trial. Her “crime”? Giving water to hot, thirsty pigs who were crammed into a metal transport truck on a swelteringly hot day in June 2015. As writer and Toronto Pig Save supporter Elizabeth Abbott explains in her Huffington Post blog post, “Judging Compassion: The Criminal Trial of Toronto Pig Save’s Anita Krajnc,” a pig at the outer edge of the transport truck was so terrified and parched that he was foaming at the mouth. When the truck stopped at a traffic light, Anita thrust a water bottle through a ventilation opening so that he could drink.
Photo by Elli Garlin
The truck driver got out and ordered Anita to stop. She refused, saying, “Have some compassion!” He snapped, “You know what, these are not humans, you dumb frickin’ broad,” and later added, “You do it again and I’ll slap it out of your hands.”
He threatened to call the cops on Anita, but when she wasn’t intimidated by him, he retreated back to his truck and continued hauling hundreds of pigs to slaughter at Fearmans Pork in Burlington, Ontario.
The next day, the pigs’ “owner” filed a complaint against Anita, and on September 9, 2015, she was charged with criminal mischief. Unbelievably, she faces up to six months in jail and a $5,000 fine.
The case, which has been going on for more than a year, has garnered tons of media coverage, and many people, including PETA President Ingrid Newkirk, have attended the court proceedings carrying signs reading, “We Stand With Anita: Compassion Is Not a Crime.” The courtroom was so packed on October 3 that the judge invited journalists to move into the empty prisoners’ dock, which he temporarily dubbed “the press dock.” When every seat was filled, the judge permitted people to sit on the floor.
Two days later, a truck on its way to Fearmans Pork overturned, killing 42 pigs and injuring many of the 160 others who were crammed inside. Anita, who was at the scene, was arrested and charged with obstructing a peace officer and breach of recognizance. She managed to share a video of the wreckage from inside a police car.
Posted by Anita Krajnc on Wednesday, October 5, 2016
After the incident, PETA asked for city approval to place a memorial at the site of the crash to remind people of the pigs who suffered and died near that spot as well as encouraging everyone to stop eating bacon, ham, and other pig-derived foods. We can all help pigs and other animals simply by going vegan.
