COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Clemens Food Group has banned a pair of unnamed hog transport companies from delivering animals to any of its facilities including the one north of Coldwater after what were called “severe” violations to animal welfare standards set by Clemens were discovered.
Company spokesman Keith Stahler told MLive the transport companies were not prepared for this weeks weather conditions which saw temperatures drop to as low as 18 degrees below zero and wind chills as low as 40 below.
He also told MLive nearly all of the hogs were processed but he did have not a firm number as to how many were affected by the brutal cold temperatures. He strongly denied an accusation made by a former worker in the MLive article posted on Thursday who stated nearly 300 hogs died while waiting to be off loaded in the bitter cold. He called it “grossly inaccurate”.
The former worker raised her concerns to the Grand Rapids base animal rights group Farm Animal Save. They held a vigil at the Clemens plant two weeks before Christmas. They are planning another “Peaceful Vigil for Pigs” on March 11th at Clemens.
