Animal advocacy organizations Women United For Animal Welfare (WUFAW) and ARYA Pets have joined forces in a desperate effort to stop the USDA’s inhumane plan to slaughter hundreds of Vietnamese pot-belly pigs in Puerto Rico.
“We are fighting against the clock,” said Dr Natalia Soto, vice president and co-founder of WUFAW. “The USDA wants to get this done asap and we are determined to save as many pigs as possible. ”
The neighborhood of Caño Martin Peña in San Juan is overrun with feral pigs — former pets bought as “miniatures,” who grew and were then abandoned following the destruction wrought by Hurricane Maria.
Around 360 pigs roam the streets in this area and the population is growing. WUFAW discovered that the USDA plans to kill all these animals, including piglets and pregnant sows.
The method of slaughter proposed by the USDA is shocking. They plan to trap the pigs and move them to a landfill for mass extermination, most likely by shooting. The method of capture is no better; traps will be set and only checked once a week, meaning any pigs caught may have to remain in these traps for days on end — terrified, stressed and deprived of food, water and shelter.
Even more shockingly, the USDA proposed that children from the local community should be involved with this horrific and cruel procedure as a “teachable moment.” Exposing children to this kind of inhumanity is nothing short of irresponsible. We should be teaching compassion and responsible population control, not murder.
WUFAW and ARYA PETS are trying to find humane alternatives. They are currently searching for a suitable area of land where the pigs can be relocated in the short term. After this first step, the organizations will attempt to find homes for the animals as well as set up a sanctuary within Puerto Rico.
Help stop the slaughter by signing this petition, which urges the USDA and the Governor of Puerto Rico not to shoot and kill these stray pot-bellied pigs.
“We cannot do it alone,” says Soto. “We need people to unite behind this cause and help us keep the pressure on them until every last pig is out of danger.”
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USDA SHOULDN’T HAVE POWERS SUCH AS THESE! Stop this killing immediately!!!!!!
Stop the killing of these animals! Its not their fault stupid humans are getting them as pets and dumping them when they get too big!
Stop this killing immediately!!!!!!
Leave our pigs happy and alone; the way you’d like to live too.
Everyone has a right to live.
Set up a sanctuary and put them in, so as to be safe.
Every life is precious. Please do not kill these animals. Traps are completely out due to endless suffering the creature must endure. Give it a little time to find them a place to go.
How insanely heartless, these animals were pets. Please make a honest effort to rehome them, be normal,
OH MY F**KING WORD! WHAT IN GOD’S NAME COUNTRY DO WE LIVE IN??????
They are God’s Creatures.
And we shall not kill and hurt, but show compassion and care.
Our life is short also, let us take the chance, do good, stop the violence (‘God is Love’) and support the vegan lifestyle.
He is the beginning and the end, one day we will die also.
Please don’t hurt this pigs!!
This is so cruel it’s simply horrible! It’s not the pigs’ fault, people are responsible for this problem! 🙁
Murdering these pigs is NOT the answer. Fight the USDA and do not let them away with the vile murder of these gentle creatures.
please help save them. they make wonderful pets not to eat
Keep up your fight — no matter what, keep USDA at bay — USDA must recognize these sweet pigs now have a home & caretakers — USDA need NOT kill these wonderful animals.
Please help all of these defenseless pigs stay safe, and alive. This is cruel, and wrong to have the pigs killed. It is not the solution. These pigs deserve to live, and to be rescued from a life of suffering, and much worse from being killed in such savage ways. Also, teaching children to be cruel to animals is not only wrong, but also evil. Please help find loving, caring homes, or a sanctuary for all of these pigs.
Cruel
The USDA is acting like the murderers in the Nazi concentration camps. Rounding up these poor pigs and putting them in a mass grave. How dare they! These are living beings! Why should they treat these beings any less than any living being on the planet. This is a horrendous act of cruelty and must be stopped.
It’s not their fault stupid humans got them as pets. Now you want to brutally kill them. What kind of people are you?
There is NO END to the cruelty that surrounds us. That is how this country (and others) solve problems. They simply kill.
It breaks my heart and so many times I feel it’s too much to deal with.
It’s too bad that the cruel, cold hearted people are the ones that have these jobs. Seems to me they get off on killing.
Why can’t they hire people that really care and have the intelligence to solve problems the right way. Not the easy way.
Killing is not a solution. sterilize them and find them homes
So the USDA – the US Death Agency all they ever want to do is kill everything! Can they not come up with better humane solutions. Why do they have to kill every animal they come across?
this is very in humane to discard of these beans they deserve to live also
Could the USDA get any more STUPID??? Well it would appear, YES THEY CAN! The USDA should not stand for United States Department of Agriculture..the way those jackasses have been going these past few years, it should now be U STUPID DUMB ASSES!
How ridiculous and cruel! These animals were family pets.
Killing just for the thrill of killing is wrong, wrong, wrong, Find a better use of your time and money and the idea of bringing children in to view the slaughter is not only barbaric but sick. You should all be fired for having such a notion.
Please don’t let this happen to these pigs! They don’t deserve this! There has to be a humane plan!
How can people be so cruel and inhuman
Disgusting actions by inhumane means. This is pure evil by evil means. Pot bellied pigs make great pets. Get them forever homes. Stop using death as a means. Let them be adopt d.
THE PEOPLE OF THE US MAINLAND ARE DEMANDING NO HARM COME TO THESE ANIMALS. PR MUST SHOW THEM THE HUMANE TREATMENT EVERY SENTIENT ANIMAL DESERVES.
THIS IS NO TEACHING MOMENT FOR YOUR CHILDREN- DONT LET THEM BE “USED” TO KILL THESE PIGS & PIGLETS. JUST WHAT OUR WORLD NEEDS- LESSONS FOR KIDS ON TORTUROUS INHUMANE ANIMAL ABUSE & MURDER- DIRECTED BY THE USDA- UNDER THE UNEMPATHETIC TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. **HAVE THEY NOT ALREADY SHOWN THEIR TRUE COLORS TO PR & THE WORLD???
LET THE PIGS BE GATHERED & HOMES FOUND FOR THEM.
**KILLING IS NOT THE HUMANE ANSWER.
Stupid human race….
Please don’t kill those beautiful pot bellied pigs.
Disgusting as usual in dealing with animals a humane has to be found, killing them that is not the answer.
What an insensitive way to treat ANY animal this has 2b stopped NOW!!