Professing she was ready to “fight the good fight” Anita Krajnc walked into provincial court in Burlington Wednesday for the first day of her trial on charges of criminal mischief for giving water to pigs on a slaughterhouse-bound truck.

On June 22 of last year, the 49-year-old Krajnc got into a confrontation with Van Boekel Hog Farms’ truck driver Jeffrey Veldjesgraat, who was stopped at a traffic light just metres from his destination of Fearmans Pork on Appleby Line.

Protests by Kranjc’s group, Toronto Pig Save, are held on a regular basis outside the pork processing plant. On this occasion, however, the owner of the pig farm, Eric Van Boekel called police and charges were laid against the Toronto woman.

Surrounded by animal rights activists outside court, Krajnc maintained her innocence saying she felt she did the “right thing” because the pigs were dehydrated due to “hot, scorching” temperatures.”

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As the trial got underway in the packed courthouse,

Veldjesgraat told defense attorney James Silver he was concerned because Krajnc was feeding the hogs “an unknown substance”.

On that particular day, Veldjesgraat was hauling 190 pigs, all between the ages of four and six months and worth approximately $45,000. The loading and transport of the pigs was done according to National Farm Animal Care Council regulations, testified the truck driver.

Under cross examination, Veldjesgraat said the number of pigs transported on the eight to ten weekly loads from the hog farm to the slaughterhouse depends on such factors as the outside temperature and weight of the pigs.

Their trucks are not equipped with misting capabilities and there are no watering facilities built into the trailer, but the truck has the ability to give the pigs a “flow of air” to provide some relief from the heat and the pigs are given water immediately after arrival at Fearmans, he testified.

Veldjesgraat said he has encountered the protesters many times and sometimes the police have stopped his truck to allow protesters to approach the vehicle and interact with the pigs. None of his loads have ever been rejected by Fearmans after being fed water by the protesters, he testified in response to Silver’s questioning.