Guthrie Man Charged With Animal Cruelty After Killing Wild Hog

Adrianna Iwasinski, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- An Oklahoma man faced animal cruelty charges for killing a wild pig, but he said he was unfairly targeted by PETA because of a video on YouTube.

Ryan Carretero is an avid hunter from Guthrie. He stabbed and killed a wild hog that was trapped in a friend's pen. He said he did nothing wrong or illegal.

"It's a wild hog. They're destructive and they are a nuisance to crops and everything. And what I did was very legal," Carretero said. 

PETA, the animal rights organization, found a video of the incident on YouTube and contacted the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office.

"No, this isn't about hunting. There's nothing to do with hunting," said Martin Mersereau, PETA Emergency Response Division Director. "This is a man, a hog, some piglets, confined to a pen and he's taking his time jabbing and poking and slashing at this animal with a knife. Very clumsy. Even a child watching this exclaimed, 'You're mean.'"

The Lincoln County District Attorney's office confirmed there was sufficient evidence to go forward with animal cruelty charges.

Bill Hale, the Assistant Chief of Law Enforcement with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife, said killing a wild hog did not break any rules because wild hogs are not considered wildlife.

"The only rules and laws we have are when another season is open and you are hunting hogs," Hale said.

The animal cruelty charge Carretero faced is a felony. If convicted, he could receive a $500 fine and up to five years in jail. His first court appearance is scheduled for November.