BUTTE - A recent rollover crash near Butte involving a semi hauling cattle has prompted the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, to plan a billboard near the crash site.
“Our billboard reminds everyone that cows are intelligent, sensitive individuals who can feel pain and don’t want to die whether that’s on the road or at the slaughter house,” said PETA representative Emily Raap from Norfolk, Va.
No people were injured in the rollover that occurred at the Interstate 15-90 interchange on Sept. 18, but one of the 36 cows being hauled was killed. PETA wants to promote a vegan diet with the billboard.
“Eating meat is completely unnecessary and that raising animals to be slaughtered means a lifetime of abuse and torment for the animals followed by a violent and painful death,” said Raap.
Some believe putting a billboard up is just exploiting an unfortunate accident.
“I think they’re just taking advantage a little bit of an accident and accidents happen. People get in more car wrecks than cows do and get hurt,” said Craig Schuett, who works for Excelsior Meats in Butte.
And even when PETA puts up the billboard folks in the meat industry don’t think the sign is going to have much impact on people in Montana who really like their meat.
“We’re a state of ranchers, hunters. We like meat. We get a majority of our income derived from ranching, farming industry,” said Schuett.
PETA doesn’t know when the billboard will go up, but wants it near the accident site on I-15.
