New PETA poster commemorates pigs killed in highway accident in Bloomington

Drivers on Ind. 37 south of Bloomington will not soon forget the accident involving a livestock truck on September 12, in which nine pigs destined for slaughter were killed.

The organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals puts up a billboard at the intersection of Ind. 37 and South Old. Ind. 37 to remind people about the pig deaths and encourage passing motorists to think about eating animals.

“In memory of the pigs killed in a nearby truck accident” will read on the billboard, along with the words: “If everyone was vegan, this wouldn’t have happened.” On the left is a photo of a pig’s face.

The poster will be “placed near the crash site and will point out who is responsible for the pigs' deaths: everyone who is not already vegan,” PETA said in a press release. “In this crash, pigs died in agony and fear, and the survivors were dragged away, presumably so that workers could slit their throats and cut up their bodies for meat.”

Amber Canavan, PETA's project manager for vegan campaigns, said in an interview Tuesday that the billboard will be put up as soon as possible and will likely stay there for a month. She hopes it will inspire passersby to think about giving up meat.

“Truck accidents involving animals used for food are quite common,” Canavan said. “We would like to remind everyone that these pigs were on their way to slaughter. The pigs involved in the accident could perhaps have had a more merciful death than those that survived the accident by being loaded back onto the truck and driven on to the slaughterhouse.”

When the Monroe Fire Department arrived at the scene at 8:45 a.m., they found a car with severe front-end damage and a livestock trailer and cab lying on its side. No one was injured in the accident, but nine hogs died and several were injured. Another 150 or so fell from the overturned trailer.

“A few Good Samaritans, state police troopers and Monroe County animal control officers worked to capture three pigs that escaped after the accident,” the fire department said in a news release.

“Truck accidents involving animals used for food production are quite common. We would like to remind everyone that these pigs were on their way to slaughter. The pigs involved in the accident could perhaps have had a more merciful death than those that survived the accident by being loaded back onto the truck and transported on to the slaughterhouse.”

Amber Canavan, Project Manager for Vegan Campaigns at PETA

Firefighters used fire trucks, backboards and ladders to build a chute and a makeshift pen to house the remaining pigs until another truck could arrive and remove them. Industrial fans and water hoses provided cooling on a day that exceeded 30 degrees.

The northbound lanes of the highway were closed for hours.

So far this year, PETA has documented 34 animal transport accidents in the United States. Billboards have also been put up at some of these locations.

Canavan hopes that signs like the one PETA put up at the crash site in Bloomington will inspire some people to stop eating animal products. According to a 2023 Gallup poll, 4% of Americans are vegetarian and 1% are vegan.

Zach Martin raises bison and owns Rice's Quality Meats in Owen County, which processes local farm animals into meat products. He said local producers like him are focused on bringing more humane conditions to the industry in a country where most people eat meat.

“Producers who are committed to good animal welfare and provide quality products to their communities are more likely to appear at a local farmers market than on the front page of a newspaper,” Martin said.

New PETA poster commemorates pigs killed in highway accident in Bloomington

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New PETA poster commemorates pigs killed in highway accident in Bloomington

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