People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wants the Carroll County State?s Attorney to file charges against the owners of a farm where pigs were found eating garbage.
PETA is “pushing for felony cruelty to animals charges, not misdemeanor charges,” said Reannon Peterson, PETA spokeswoman.
Deputy State?s Attorney David P. Daggett and Senior Assistant State?s Attorney Melissa Hockensmith were two of approximately 18 officials who met Monday at Westminster?s State Police Barracks regarding the Schisler case.
Daggett said Carroll Schisler and Carroll Schisler Jr. have not been charged, and the agencies at the meeting discussed their concurrent independent investigations.
In a letter from PETA research associate Noam Mohr, the animal rights group sent an “urgent plea” to Carroll County State?s Attorney Jerry F. Barnes, asking him to charge the Schislers with cruelty toward animals, after Maryland State Police found dead and dying animals and piles of animal bones at the New Windsor farm.
Hockensmith said her office would proceed “with a firm course of action,” and added that after talking with PETA representatives about the investigation?s progress, “they seemed thoroughly satisfied.”
Other agencies at Monday?s meeting were the Carroll Humane Society, Carroll County Health Department, Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Maryland Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration and the County Attorney?s Office.
Timeline
» March 8: Investigators raid Schisler farm looking for stolen property
» April 1: Maryland Department of Agriculture begins enforcing a swine quarantine after investigators find pigs eating garbage
» April 6: MDA warns that a pig on the farm tested positive for a parasitic worm that causes the disease trichinosis.
