Woman faces 10 years in jail for a kind gesture

Seeing pigs squashed into a truck on a boiling hot day was a bit too much for Anita Krajnc who felt they ought to give the pigs some water to drink on their trip to the slaughterhouse. What she felt and most of us out there feel was a helpful gesture has now left Ms Krajnc confronting charges of up to 10 years in a Canadian prison or a potential fine of almost R500 000. 

 

On Monday, the latest update to what is turning into a worldwide celebre for every living creature's for animal rights activists will be fought out at a court in Milton, Ontario, when a judge will set the date of trial for Ms Krajnc, facing charges of "criminal mischief". 

 

Under Canadian law, pigs are conceived as “property” and can be transported for up to 36 hours without having to be fed, watered, or rested.  This is not good enough for Ms Krajnc, a 48 year old woman who makes her living as a specialist on various animal welfare projects and runs Toronto Pig Save. 

 

Ms Krajnc and her group stood along the side of the road awaiting trucks stuffed with pigs and then poured water and squeezed in fruit through the ventilation gaps in the trailer. This act was frowned upon by the Pig Transportation Industry who says the activities endangered the pigs and posed as a hazard to road safety. 

 

Things got serious when a driver working for Van Boekel Hog Farms who was transporting a trailer full of pigs was poked at by water bottles. The truck driver demanded Ms Krajnc to immediately stop watering the pigs. The next day, a written complaint at a nearby station was made against Ms Krajnc. 

According to court documents, Ms Krajnc sprayed “an unknown liquid into the trailer where the hogs were situated”.

 

The complainant, Eric van Boekel said: “She has the right to protest and make her views known.

 

“What she does not have the right to do is put my livestock in jeopardy. “It is happening at a traffic stop light and people are putting their arms in with the livestock. “The problem is when the light turns green. It is not going to be a matter if someone gets hurt, but when. I don’t want the responsibility of somebody getting maimed.”

 

Farmers also argue that Ms Krajnc’s increased the pigs’ suffering as they scrambled over each other to try and get a sip of water from the bottle.

 

Ms Krajnc is ready to face jail time for what she believes in. “We have a duty to give food to the hungry and water to the thirsty. I won’t accept a fine; I would rather go to prison.”