Disturbing allegations of turkey abuse at a Butterball slaughterhouse have resurfaced after animal rights group PETA released undercover footage captured in 2006 at the company's Ozark, Arkansas facility.
The video, part of PETA's campaign urging Americans to boycott turkey this Thanksgiving, depicts graphic accounts of abuse and cruelty by employees.
An anonymous PETA investigator claims to have witnessed workers sexually abusing turkeys, including one employee allegedly inserting his fingers into a turkey's cloaca. The investigator said workers would "brag about the abuse." The footage also shows employees kicking and stomping on turkeys, with one boasting about striking a bird so hard that its eyeballs popped out.
While no charges were brought against Butterball following PETA's initial exposé, allegations of mistreatment have plagued the company. In 2011, a North Carolina Butterball plant was raided after another undercover investigation revealed similar abuse, Gulf Live reported.
"This video is not current and in no way reflects our animal welfare policies," a Butterball spokesperson stated in response to the resurfaced video.
PETA's latest campaign reminds consumers that Butterball is not alone in facing such accusations; similar cases, like the 2021 Plainville Farms investigation, led to criminal charges for workers documented beating and simulating sex acts on turkeys.
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