CANADIAN ACTIVIST ANITA KRAJNC FACES 10 YEARS JAIL FOR GIVING WATER TO PIGS

USPA NEWS - A woman who fed dehydrated pigs in a truck on their way to a Canadian slaughterhouse now faces the threat of up to 10 years in jail. Toronto resident Anita Krajnc, 48, was charged with criminal mischief after clashing with the driver of a tractor-trailer carrying pigs to an Ontario pork...

A woman who fed dehydrated pigs in a truck on their way to a Canadian slaughterhouse now faces the threat of up to 10 years in jail. Toronto resident Anita Krajnc, 48, was charged with criminal mischief after clashing with the driver of a tractor-trailer carrying pigs to an Ontario pork processing plant in June. She could also be fined up to $5,000 (£3,300).

After a pre-trial hearing on Monday, Anita Krajnc told the Guardian: 'It´s an outrage. It´s insane to charge somebody with criminal mischief for doing that.' Anita Krajnc, who founded Toronto Pig Save, a group whose mission is 'to bear witness of suffering of animals in transport and at slaughterhouses', called her group´s activities 'small acts of charity'.

The group stands by the roadside in wait for passing pig trucks, and then pokes water and fruit through the slats in the trailer. However, those involved in the pig transportation industry say the group's activities risk endangering the pigs and can also pose a road safety hazard. Matters came to a head on June 22 when a driver working for Van Boekel Hog Farms was carrying a pig trailer, into which Ms Krajnc and her supporters poked water bottles. There was a confrontation with the truck driver, who demanded she stop watering the pigs. The following day, Ms Krajnc was told by police that there had been a complaint against her. (Telegraph)

Under Canadian law, pigs are considered property and can be transported for up to 36 hours without food or water, according to the Factory Farming Awareness Coalition. A day after the incident, Eric Van Boekel, a pork farmer who owned the pigs being transported, filed a complaint with the police. He told the Canadian Press: “I have no problem with them protesting; just leave my stuff alone. (Independent)

Several online petitions have sprung up in Krajnc´s defence. By Monday afternoon, one ““ entitled Compassion Isn´t a Crime ““ had gathered more than 125,500 signatures, while another, calling on the Ontario court of justice to drop charges against her, had more than 24,600 signatures. Krajnc´s next pretrial date is 15 December. The earliest her case is expected in court is next August. (The Guardian)

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