Male Piglets File Case In Court

According to an article at greenwichtime.com, Germany's male piglets become the latest animals to file cases in court.

Of course, it isn't actually the piggies filing cases with Germany's Federal constitutional Court , but rather PETA doing it on their behalf.
PETA is arguing that the castration of male piglets is in violation of German law, which states that animals shall not be harmed without reasonable explanation.

Regarding there being a a reasonable explanation for the need to castrate male piglets, one need merely go to porkgateway.org to read the following :
Removal of the testicles reduces the potential for odor and taint associated with male hormones in boars after puberty.

Clearly, pig farmers do not castrate piglets for sadistic pleasure, but because not doing so would give the meat of the grown pig an offensive odor.

I first learned of the need to castrate male piglets when I was nine or ten years old, when the father of one of my friends in the neighborhood had managed to capture a pig that some jokers had released unto Bankhead Hwy. near Georgia Tech in downtown Atlanta. The boy's dad was keeping his treasure in a pen in their backyard and the boy explained to me that the pig had to get his "nuts cut off".

Being pretty much a city slicker, I had never witnessed the castration of a piglet until 2007,  while on a trip to visit my wife's family in Philippines. As I wrote in a blog post at the time :

There was quite a commotion outside behind the house. The pig were squealing loudly and even the dog and roosters were in some sort of stress. My wife told me that Papa was circumcising the piglets. My first thought was that, perhaps, if what she said were true, then it might be possible to make pork Kosher.
After I had explained the difference between the definitions of circumcision and castration she admitted that her choice of words had not been the right one.

At that time I simply watched my father-in-law, with the help of one of his sons-in-law, do the deed. Fully ten years would pass before I would assist in castrating piglets. These were my piglets, so I was obligated to help Papa.

Fortunately for me, there were only two male piglets at the time. Papa and I were sitting in chairs opposite one another. I was holding the squirming, squealing piglet while Papa performed the operation. The 2nd piglet was squirming so much that my chair toppled - I fell over, still holding on to the piggie.

About the age when male piglets are castrated, both males and females have another procedure done. Both sexes have to have their teeth cut. In Philippines, this procedure is done with large toe-nail clippers. I've assisted with this, and let me tell you, it's as difficult as the castration. I'm surprised PETA hasn't filed suit on behalf of the female piglets for this.

Sounds a bit sexist, if you ask me.