On Tuesday October 22 we received a plea from a concerned citizen to help these pigs, both myself and the Director of the Delaware Valley Humane Society immediately made contact with Schuyler County Sheriffs Office. The pigs were owned by a Mennonite family in Reading, NY. The humane officer was dispatched to the area of County Route 29 and Spencer Rd to do a welfare check; I spoke with her the morning of October 23 and was told she did not see any black pigs and would do a follow up visit in 2 weeks. I told her that I truly did not feel the 2 would survive another 2 weeks then sent photos and asked her to please revisit the location; which she did. After seeing these emaciated pigs she "asked" the woman to consider surrendering the pigs which she said she felt they would be willing to do and would speak to her husband, and then call me later last evening. I never received a call, instead, I received a call from a neighbor that all pigs were all shot and killed last night in the dark with flashlights while they slept in their pasture. These pigs were of healthy weight in the beginning of summer; then starved and killed in their sleep. I am WELL AWARE that people raise pigs for production HOWEVER there are HUMANE standards that farmers are held to while RAISING those animals! These animals were STARVED & NEGLECTED. They were in an area with no food and were eating bark off trees. Neighbors were leaving hay, apples and bread to try and help. It was also reported that these sows were 12-15 YEARS old, are you aware what "meat" processed from an animal that age would be like? Not edible I assure you. And exactly how much meat was this individual likely to obtain from these emaciated animals? This is SICKENING. These animals were simply KILLED to avoid the law. The humane officer DID tell them they could butcher; but that they "urged" to surrender the emaciated ones. To date there have been no charges filed, no arrest, no seize of remaining animals, just urging. I DEMAND justice from Schuyler County and the State of NY. This is over driving and torture, this is the face of ABUSE; which as of yesterday is a FELONY Charge in this Country. These pigs had a safe place with US and this could have been a happy ending; not one that resulted in MURDER. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL AND DEMAND JUSTICE FROM LEGAL AUTHORITIES WHOSE DUTY IS TO SERVE AND PROTECT AND CONTINUE TO SHARE SO THAT JUSTICE MAY BE SERVED

Schuyler County Sheriff, Officer Hatch (607) 535-8222

NY Ag & Markets (800) 554-4501 or
https://www.agriculture.ny.gov/complaint.html

Applicable NY State Laws are as follows:
§ 353. Overdriving, torturing and injuring animals; failure to provide proper sustenance. A person who overdrives, overloads, tortures or cruelly beats or unjustifiably injures, maims, mutilates or kills any animal, whether wild or tame, and whether belonging to himself or to another, or deprives any animal of necessary sustenance, food or drink, or neglects or refuses to furnish it such sustenance or drink, or causes, procures or permits any animal to be overdriven, overloaded, tortured, cruelly beaten, or unjustifiably injured, maimed, mutilated or killed, or to be deprived of necessary food or drink, or who wilfully sets on foot, instigates, engages in, or in any way furthers any act of cruelty to any animal, or any act tending to produce such cruelty, is guilty of a class A misdemeanor and for purposes of paragraph (b) of subdivision one of section 160.10 of the criminal procedure law, shall be treated as a misdemeanor defined in the penal law.
Nothing herein contained shall be construed to prohibit or interfere with any properly conducted scientific tests, experiments or investigations, involving the use of living animals, performed or conducted in laboratories or institutions, which are approved for these purposes by the state commissioner of health. The state commissioner of health shall prescribe the rules under which such approvals shall be granted, including therein standards regarding the care and treatment of any such animals. Such rules shall be published and copies thereof conspicuously posted in each such laboratory or institution. The state commissioner of health or his duly authorized representative shall have the power to inspect such laboratories or institutions to insure compliance with such rules and standards. Each such approval may be revoked at any time for failure to comply with such rules and in any case the approval shall be limited to a period not exceeding one year.
§ 369. Interference with officers. Any person who shall interfere with or obstruct any constable or police officer or any officer or agent of any duly incorporated society for the prevention of cruelty to animals in the discharge of his duty to enforce the laws relating to animals shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, or by both.