FARGO (KFGO KVRR) – The Cass County States Attorney’s Office is looking into a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report alleging inhumane treatment of a cow at the North Dakota State University Meat Laboratory.
In February, USDA sent NDSU a notice that federal inspectors would not be assigned to the meat laboratory “until such time as you provide to this office adequate written corrective actions and preventive measures to assure that the handling and/or slaughter of animals will be done humanely.”
The Notice of Suspension says that it took several shots from what’s called a “captive bolt device” to render a cow unconscious. A manager disassembled and reassembled the gun, but it misfired before a fifth shot rendered the cow unconscious.
Cass County State’s Attorney Birch Burdick has been asked to investigate the matter by PETA.
“We’ll review it, determine what action we will take and then proceed with the appropriate steps” Burdick said.
The USDA’s report says the observations detailed “an egregious violation” of humane handling requirements.
NDSU has not commented.
