DE PERE (NBC 26) — PETA leaders say they plan to display a message near the crash site of a semi roll-over crash where four cows were killed Tuesday morning.
The cows were killed when a semi overturned on Interstate 41 in De Pere.
The semi driver was hauling a stock trailer, and it was filled with 32 head of livestock.
De Pere firefighters say they had to cut part of the roof off the semi trailer to let the living livestock escape and then moved to another trailer.
PETA leaders say they plan to place a sky-high message near the crash site on Interstate 41 between Main Street and Ashland Avenue in De Pere to help memorialize the cows that died.
“At least four cows died in terror and agony because of this crash, and the survivors were reportedly ‘agitated and afraid’ as they were hauled off, presumably for workers to slit their throats and carve up their bodies at the slaughterhouse,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA urges everyone to help keep cows out of trucks and slaughterhouses in the first place by going vegan.”
According to PETA, in 2023 alone, there were at least 72 documented animal-transport truck crashes.
We have reached out to PETA to learn more specifics about the message, and a spokesperson says they plan to pay for a billboard that will be displayed near the crash site. They say it's too soon to tell when the billboard will be added to the area, but they typically like to get these messages displayed as soon as possible.
NBC 26 Today's MacLeod Hageman responded to the crash the morning of the incident, and you can see that video here:
We have reached out to De Pere police to learn more about the driver's conditions, whether any tickets have been issued, and to report an exact cause of the crash. We are still waiting to hear back.
