Firefighters in England are facing criticism after they celebrated a successful animal rescue mission by later feasting on the animals.

The Pewsy Fire Station was blasted online after posting photos on Facebook, which have since been deleted, of their sausage meal. In the post, the fire crew explained that they rescued 18 piglets from a farm fire in February, and the farm’s manager recently brought them sausages made of the pigs’ meat as a thank you.

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PETA spokeswoman, Mimi Bekhechi, slammed the move in a statement to BBC News Wednesday, saying the piglets were “no better off” after being saved from the fire.

Bekhechi added that the animal advocacy organization would be sending the Pewsy Fire Station vegan sausages to show them how easy it is not to eat animal meat.

Several social media users were also distraught by the feast, and sounded off on the station’s Facebook page.

“I can’t help but to cringe at the fact that you were hero’s for a second in those pigs eyes,” user Sam Dugas commented.

“Shame on you, after rescuing the pigs eating them, no wonder why this world is heading to disaster, go vegan!” another user named Mauricio Quiroga wrote.

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Other users were less critical of the firefighters.

“I’ve been vegetarian since 1993 and I support your sausage eating,” Dan Boujoulian said. “You work hard for the community, accepting a thank you from someone you helped shouldn’t be an issue.’

The outcry soon prompted an apology from the Pewsy Fire Station.

“We recognise that this has caused offence to some – we apologise for this and as such have removed the post.”

But the farm’s manager, Rachel Rivers, held firm that there was no wrongdoing.

“I gave those animals the best quality of life I could ever give until the time they go to slaughter and they go into the food chain,” she told BBC News.