RAEFORD, N.C. (AP) — A former employee of a Butterball plant in North Carolina has pleaded guilty to animal cruelty after he was seen on videotape abusing turkeys.
Brian Douglas was one of several people shown stomping, kicking and bashing live birds at the Shannon Butterball Farm in Hoke County last year. Six other workers were also charged in the case.
Douglas entered his plea Tuesday. He will serve 30 days in jail, followed by six months of probation and 36 months of supervised probation. He was also ordered to pay $550 in fines and to provide a DNA sample to the state.
A state agriculture official who tipped off the company about the cruelty case pleaded guilty in February to obstruction of justice.