A deputy sheriff shot and killed a runaway pig who had been roaming southern Door County on Sept. 20, and members of the community are calling for justice.
Jewel, the reported “rogue pig,” had been wandering on and off the highway at 42-57 junction south of Sturgeon Bay for at least two days. The Door County Sheriff’s Office deputy said Jewel’s 300-pound weight posed a potential danger to drivers, who had been warned to ride carefully because of the pig. After several failed attempts by the community to find Jewel, she was found wagging her tail in a ditch.
The Sheriff’s Office and rescuers from Saving Snouts, a farm animal sanctuary nonprofit in Kaukauna specializing in rescuing and sheltering pigs, were alerted of Jewel’s location from a motorist’s 911 call. Deputy Nathan Daoust told rescuers both on scene and over the phone that he would try tranquilizing the loose pig before waiting for the rescue trailer’s arrival, according to body camera and onlooker footage posted on Instagram.
However, Daoust appeared to make zero attempt to tranquilize Jewel before firing his rifle twice as onlookers cried out, alarmed by the turn of events.
Rescuers and onlookers were mere feet away when Daoust opened fire, leaving Jewel writhing in pain. Daoust claimed it was a post-death nervous reaction rather than a painful death, but he did not check to see if she was still breathing, according to video footage.
The officer said when he’d arrived, Jewel had been in the road but later moved to the ditch. He was filmed saying that Jewel had been on the highway, but no one else had seen her there.
“If we can't wrangle this thing within the proper amount of time and it stays within the highways, we may just have to put it down,” Daoust said. “I'm not looking forward or looking to go out of my way to euthanize this animal. I'm just looking to be realistic.”
A popular animal rights lawyer Wayne Hsuing said in an Instagram video Daoust shot Jewel after a total of 33 seconds of seeing the pig.
Saving Snouts said in a FaceBook post Daoust was afraid of Jewel and didn’t understand how to handle her, and that the two members already on scene both had 26 years of experience and were ready to rescue Jewel.
The Door County community has coined #JusticeforJewel to promote awareness and ensure the Door County Sheriff’s Office and others become informed. A petition was created to encourage disciplinary action against Daoust and accountability on behalf of the department.
The Door County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook that Daoust’s actions were "were within policy and justified based on the totality of the situation." The office also said before Jewel’s death that their priority was capturing the pig and putting public safety first.
Lisa Castagnozzi, an animal rights activist, told The Daily Cardinal that it’s regular practice for animal rescuers to coordinate with local sheriff’s departments to help out.
“There's no justification for what he did unless you can justify shooting any animal that is near any road in the entire state,” said Castagnozzi. She called Jewel’s death “an assault on a pig walking peacefully.”
In the state of Wisconsin, the unjustifiable killing of an animal is a crime. However, Castagnozzi said Wisconsin isn’t “farm-animal friendly,” meaning that it’s unlikely Daoust will be charged with animal cruelty.
When asked if Jewel’s death was justified, Door County Sheriff’s Office captain Carl Waterstreet told the Cardinal, “the Sheriff[’s Office] released in the statement that there was no violation of policy that was found, and the Deputy just abided by the state law.”
“To see her gunned down right in front of us was beyond devastating. It was cruel,” TJ Derecks, founder of Saving Snouts, wrote on Facebook. “We demand a full investigation into this senseless act of violence and for the deputy involved to be held accountable. This is not justice; this is not humanity.”
