NEW OXFORD, PA. – After undercover video was released on Aug. 13, depicting animal abuse at a turkey production farm that supplies Plainville Farms, the turkey processor and manufacturer of bulk and sliced deli meats responded to the footage that was obtained by an investigator from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) working on a catching crew earlier this year. PETA officials sent the company’s president, Tom Donovan, a letter demanding the termination of the workers and supervisors committing the acts of cruelty in the videos.

PETA also used the opportunity to promote veganism.

“Every turkey sandwich represents the pain and fear of a gentle bird who wasn’t shown any kindness in his or her miserable life,” said Tracy Reiman, PETA’s executive vice president. “PETA reminds kind consumers that the only ‘humane’ meal is a vegan one, and we are ready to help them with their transition.”

On its website, Plainville Farms acknowledged the animal abuse seen in the videos and vowed to investigate the incidents to identify any employees committing acts of cruelty and hold them responsible for violating the company’s animal welfare policy.

“You may have seen the horrific video of animal abuse that is being circulated in the news and online,” said the company’s message on its website. “What is shown is horrific, despicable and goes against everything this company stands for. It’s important for incidents like this to come to light, and we have already launched an internal investigation, from the top down. If any of our employees were involved, they will be held accountable.”

The company said the 100-year-old company has always made animal welfare a top priority and a key part of its culture and training.

“Although we have stringent protocols in place to prevent these types of incidents from occurring, if these are our employees, clearly we failed somewhere along the way,” said the company.

“We remain committed to setting the gold standard for the health and well-being of our turkeys and will do whatever it takes to achieve that goal and make sure something like this never happens again.”