A Shawano County swine producer has agreed to a civil forfeiture for impeding an investigation related to feeding carcasses to her swine, a practice that can lead to the development of severe animal health diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease.
In a plea agreement, Wendy J. King, of Birnamwood, accepted a plea of no contest for obstructing an investigation. King has been ordered to pay Shawano County Circuit Court $1,000 plus court fees of $397.50.
During an inspection prompted by an anonymous complaint in January, investigators discovered evidence that King and her husband, Charles King, were feeding bovine and deer carcasses to their pigs and then selling those pigs.
“Some of the diseases, and FMD in particular, that can result from feeding meat products to animals could devastate the livestock industry in Wisconsin,” Assistant State Veterinarian Dr. Darlene Konkle said. “Rules against this practice exist for very important reasons and compliance is essential.”
The Kings failed to comply with requests for documentation of sales of their pigs, which led to the charges.
“Our animal health laws are in place to protect animal health and the industry,” Konkle said. “By and large, most farms adhere to these laws. When a farm fails to follow the law, we take it seriously.”