State (Virginia )office to look into deaths of 513 hogs

[Catchawave]

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=87594&ran=21472


The Virginian-Pilot
© June 10, 2005


The state Office of Veterinary Services will coordinate an informal investigation into the heat-related deaths of 513 pigs this week at a Sussex County farm owned by a Smithfield Foods subsidiary, officials said Thursday .

Officials believe the deaths Monday resulted from a thunderstorm that knocked out power providing ventilation to the Murphy-Brown pig facility near the Sussex Courthouse .

But, after a complaint from PETA, the animal-rights group based in Norfolk, the state wants to make sure “no other extenuating circumstances” contributed to the deaths, such as improper animal care or poor facility conditions, said Elaine Lidholm , a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services .

“If we determine that it was an act of God with the storm, we’d recommend things end there,” Lidholm said. “We’d know it would be a huge loss to the farmer, but not a case of animal cruelty,” as PETA has insinuated.

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