We return to the weekly horse sale in Sugarcreek operated by Ohio’s largest kill buyer, Leroy Baker. He is currently shipping approximately three loads of horses a week to the Viande Richelieu plant in Québec, Canada.

There are approximately 125 horses inside the pen area when we arrive at midday. We note a severely emaciated gelding in a pen by…

We arrive at the New Holland Sales Stables in the early morning. We immediately note that there are several horses with multiple cuts on their faces in the loose horse pens, injuries likely sustained in transport. A Paint horse is especially affected with a bleeding forehead injury as well as another serious cut above his left eye. In another pen,…

Our team starts at 6 o’clock inspecting cattle market in Bodzentyn. There are about 600 animals a little less than weeks before and the atmosphere is calm. Most of the animals are in general good condition only a few cows with overgrown hooves and one with swollen udder are observed. Team notes the ear tag numbers and will request an inspection…

Together with Eyes on Animals (NL) we visit Başkent slaughterhouse again. We share some updates and then make a little tour in the plant. The last time we had visited this plant they had made a number of improvements we had recommended during our first visit.  Please see here: http://www.halal-slaughter-watch.org/follow-up-inspection-of-baskent-sla…

Today our partner organization Eyes on Animals is in Ereğli. Cihangir Et has a small slaughterhouse which slaughters animals only 2 days in a week. They slaughter approximately  40 cattle and 300-600 sheep a day and they sell the meat in their own market in İstanbul.

We meet with the manager. It isn't slaughter day but all workers are there for…

Today a team of inspectors from TSB|AWF and our partner organisation, Eyes on Animals, from Holland arrives in Istanbul and drives to Kapikule at the Bulgarian/Turkish border. During one week we are going to inspect animal transporters bringing in animals from the EU to Turkey. While driving north on the highway, we observe 22 animal trucks passing…

The Middleburg horse auction is frequented by a lot of members of the Mennonite and Amish communities who dump their worn-out work or buggy horses at the sale. Today, as usual, the slaughter horse pens are severely overcrowded, with horses packed in like sardines. There are five to seven horses tied next to each other, unable to move. The pens have…

Our team finds at 7:30 a young cow lying at the market Bodzentyn. The traders move her to another place, she walks normal, but immediately lies down again. She appears to be weak and refuses to drink or to eat. We call the market vet, who immediately gives first – aid treatment to her. She remains lying and the vet gets prepared for euthanasia, the…

Today we meet in Brussels with Vytenis Andriukaitis, the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety. Members of his Cabinet and representatives of DG SANTE (Directorate General for Health and Food Safety) and DG TRADE also attend the meeting. We present the findings of our investigations about the production of blood serum in Uruguay and…