A 60-year-old man was arrested after Otoe County officials found hundreds of dead pigs on his farm near Unadilla, Neb., about 25 miles east of Lincoln.
Mark Langan of the Nebraska Humane Society went to the farm with county officials on Friday. Langan said that a veterinarian determined that the pigs most likely died of starvation.
"In my seven years with the humane society, I have never been to a scene like that," Langan said Monday. "It was impossible to tell how many pigs were dead because the property owner had been stacking them up in the barn and so many were so badly decomposed."
John Maahs was arrested on suspicion of cruelty to animals, according to the Otoe County Sheriff's Office.
Court records show that in 2009 Maahs was fined $200 for improper disposal of carcasses.
Deputies discovered the dead pigs Thursday night after getting a complaint. About 100 pigs and 60 goats were rescued.
"This case is certainly not representative of the pork producers in this state," Langan said. "The vast majority of those in agriculture are very protective of their animals."
Contact the writer:
402-444-1272, kevin.cole@owh.com
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