aT-R FILE PHOTO Shown are semis unloading hogs at JBS’s Marshalltown plant. The company is Marshalltown’s largest employer, and purchases and processes an estimated 5 million hogs annually.

Officials with the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals on Thursday called on Marshall County Attorney Jennifer Miller to “investigate and, as appropriate, file criminal charges against a farmer who transported pigs to JBS’s Marshalltown pork processing plant and then allegedly dragged a downed pig off the truck by the leg‚ causing the animal to scream and struggle,” according to a PETA press release.

The press release cited a U.S. Department of Agriculture eyewitness report cited in agency documents as testimonial.

“We received PETA’s request and are looking into this matter to determine if criminal charges are appropriate,” said Miller in a email to the Times-Republican.

Copies of the press release and USDA documents were also sent to the T-R.

The PETA press release continued: “According to the USDA documents, on July 18 an inspector witnessed a farmer grab the leg of a downed pig who was lying on his or her side in a truck and drag the screaming animal down a ramp toward the slaughterhouse. The pig struggled to stand up several times before the farmer pushed the animal back down. PETA notes this conduct may violate the state’s livestock-neglect statute, which prohibits a person from ‘fail[ing] to provide livestock with care consistent with customary animal husbandry practices.’ The National Pork Board deems dragging pigs by a limb unacceptable and recommends that downed pigs be put on a sled or mat or else rendered unconscious before they’re dragged.”

JBS Human Resource Director Pete Charboneau was out of the plant through Aug. 14. His automatic email requested inquiries be directed to Anupam Bansal of the company, who did not reply to a request for comment before press time.

JBS is the largest local employer, with an annual multimillion dollar economic impact to Central Iowa.

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Contact Mike Donahey at 641-753-6611 or mdonahey@timesrepublican.com