After being
caught on hidden camera kicking and throwing chickens and violently stomping
them to death, Danny Miranda pled guilty yesterday to three counts of criminal
animal cruelty in the Richmond County, North Carolina district court. The
convictions stem from an MFA undercover investigation into Perdue Farms in North
Carolina.
Miranda was initially charged with four counts of felony animal
cruelty for his pattern of vicious and sadistic animal abuse. As part of a plea
agreement, he was convicted of three counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty and
sentenced to 45 days’ imprisonment, 12 months’ probation, and a prohibition on
working with animals.
MFA praises the
Richmond County Sheriff’s Department and District Attorney’s Office for taking
swift and decisive action in pursuing justice for these abused and exploited
animals.
Watch the
footage that led to his conviction here:
At the time of
the investigation, Miranda was employed at Deese Farm and Hideaway Farms in
Rockingham, North Carolina. Both were contract chicken factory farms for Perdue—one
of the largest poultry producers in the country.
MFA is urging
Perdue to adopt meaningful animal welfare policies across its entire supply
chain to end many of the worst forms of animal abuse and neglect. This includes
ending selective breeding for rapid growth and shifting to slower-growing
breeds of birds to prevent health problems related to accelerated growth;
providing birds with more space, clean litter, access to natural light, and
environmental enrichments; and replacing live-shackle slaughter methods with
less cruel systems that eliminate the horrific suffering caused by shackling,
shocking, and slitting the throats of conscious animals.