Target: Bill Hicks, Criminal District Attorney, El Paso County, Texas
Goal: Ensure that those accused of confining livestock in life-threatening conditions, including pigs allegedly trapped inside a trailer that reached 170 degrees, is prosecuted to the fullest extent of Texas law.
Investigators allege seven adult pigs were confined inside a small horse trailer where internal temperatures soared to an astonishing 170 degrees. With reportedly little room to move and no relief from the heat, the animals apparently faced conditions that could have turned fatal within hours. What authorities allegedly found extended far beyond the trailer, revealing dozens of other animals living amid filth, neglect, and deprivation.
Detectives with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and specialized animal welfare officers executed search warrants at two properties in San Elizario after receiving concerns about livestock welfare. Investigators found 97 animals, including 55 horses, two donkeys, 19 pigs, three peacocks, and 12 sheep. Authorities allege the animals were confined in profoundly unsanitary conditions and lacked adequate care. Officers also reported widespread neglect throughout the properties beyond the overheated trailer. Veterinary teams and rescue personnel removed every surviving animal and transported them to Gracey’s Rescue Ranch for emergency hydration, medical assessment, and nutritional support. The property’s manager was arrested on multiple cruelty charges.
Exposing animals to lethal temperatures while failing to provide humane living conditions reflects a disregard for the most basic standards of care. Livestock are living beings capable of pain, fear, and extreme physical distress. Meaningful legal accountability would reinforce that conduct like this carries serious consequences if found guilty.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear District Attorney Hicks,
The reported findings at these properties have profoundly disturbed animal welfare advocates. Investigators allege nearly one hundred animals endured prolonged neglect, while seven pigs were confined inside a trailer that allegedly reached a life-threatening temperature of 170 degrees.
Your office now has the opportunity to pursue a thorough and impartial prosecution based on veterinary examinations, physical evidence, investigative reports, and witness testimony.
Please ensure that those accused of this crime are prosecuted under the fullest provisions of Texas law. Animals exposed to extreme heat, neglect, and preventable suffering deserve justice, and a strong legal response will help deter similar cruelty elsewhere.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Vauxford
