Activist Faces $5,000 Fine for Giving Water to Slaughterhouse Pigs

Anita Krajnc, an Ontario, Canada activist who provided water to thirst-stricken pigs en route to a slaughterhouse during a sweltering June day earlier this year, appeared in court yesterday to face a charge of mischief. The actions of Krajnc and her group Toronto Pig Save went viral last summer when video of their efforts surfaced online, depicting the panting pigs fervently lapping from a water bottle Krajnc held through the slats of the truck on what she says was a humid 80-degree day. The video shows the truck’s driver accosting Krajnc, insinuating she may have been trying to give tainted water to the animals. “Don’t put it in there again,” the driver says. “You do it again, and I’ll slap it out of your hands.” “If this pig is thirsty, they’ll have water,” Krajnc responds. According to Kranjc’s group, 32 pigs being transported to slaughter in Toronto were declared dead on arrival in just one day during the summer of 2013, having succumbed to extreme heat and thirst. In an interview with CTV News Toronto, Krajnc said her first day in court was largely uneventful, with only a pre-trial date being set for November 30, but that she maintains that what she did was the right thing to do. “I didn’t do anything wrong,” she said. “In fact, I think we actually have not only a right, but a duty to help suffering animals.” Despite the charges, Krajnc says Toronto Pig Save’s demonstrations will continue.