A Wheatland County man is facing multiple charges after slaughtering sick and injured cattle and selling uninspected meat.
In November, Alberta Agriculture Inspections and Investigation Section (IIS), RCMP Livestock Investigative Unit (LIU) and Wheatland County received reports that sick and injured cattle were getting slaughtered, with the meat being sold and unlawfully disposed of, an RCMP press release said.
“The sale of uninspected meat has the potential to result in severe illness or death, as it has not been determined safe for human consumption,” the release said.
The Southern Alberta Livestock Investigations Unit obtained evidence of the male causing unnecessary suffering to cattle by failing to adequately care for and feed the animals, in addition to evidence of breaches to the Alberta Meat Inspection Regulation.
On Feb. 21, RCMP LIU, Alberta Agriculture, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency entered the property and saw employees slaughtering cattle.
During the search of the property, 36 dead calves, multiple cow parts, and more than 100 tags from slaughtered cows were found, the release said.
Peter Wiebe, 59, was arrested and charged with causing unnecessary suffering to animals, allowing animals to be in distress, unlawful disposal of dead cattle, dealing in livestock products without being licenced, selling uninspected meat, and failure to label meat “Uninspected, not for sale.”
Wiebe was released to appear in Drumheller Provincial Court in March.
