Investigations by country:

27. September 2022

Investigation in the US: Bouvry’s horse assembly centre in Shelby

Success: Bouvry's assembly centre in Shelby (USA) has ceased operations.

The Bar S Feedlot in Shelby, Montana, can hold up to 1,800 animals. It serves as a horse assembly centre for the Canadian slaughter company Bouvry. Slaughter horses from all over the United States are gathered here before being transported to Bouvry's slaughterhouse in Calgary (Canada). There, the horses destined for the EU market stay in feedlots…

15. September 2022

Investigation in the US: Horse auction in New Holland

Horse with deformed left front leg.

Together with our partner Animals' Angels USA, we visit the weekly horse sale in New Holland, Pennsylvania. Again, we are here to check the conditions of the animals during the sale and to monitor the kill buyers’ activities.

It is a slow sale day, over half the barn is empty. We note that there are a lot of emaciated horses, and several have…

14. August 2022

Investigation in the US: Horse auction in Attalla

Horse with a fresh forehead injury.

We visit a horse auction in the United States together with Animals’ Angels USA. The Guy Bynum Auction takes place monthly in Attalla, Alabama. We observe the gathering of some of the largest kill buyers and horse brokers in the country and document an appalling list of abuse and neglect.

There are about 150 horses in the pens. Several animals are…

01. August 2022

Investigation in the US: Horse auction in Kalona

Pens and the raceway towards the auction ring.

Together with our partner Animals' Angels USA, we visit the monthly horse auction in the small town of Kalona near Iowa City. We check the conditions of the animals during the sale and monitor the activities of the kill buyers. The auction remains one of the most active slaughter sales in the country. Large scale kill buyers that ship horses both…

24. October 2019

USA | Shelby | Bouvry’s horse assembly centre

The horses are kept in muddy pens without shelter or dry resting places.

Together with our partner Animals’ Angels USA, we have been monitoring the horse feedlot in Shelby, Montana, for many years. The feedlot serves as the US assembly centre for Bouvry, the largest Canadian horse slaughterhouse. Our previous investigations have uncovered tremendous abuse and neglect.

We return to Shelby in October 2019 and observe the…

30. January 2019

USA | Shelby | Bouvry’s horse assembly centre

The animals are kept in the open and in the bitter cold at the horse assembly centre in Shelby,

Together with our partner organisation Animals’ Angels USA, we have been monitoring the horse feedlot in Shelby, Montana, for many years. The feedlot serves as the US assembly centre for Bouvry, the largest Canadian horse slaughterhouse. Our previous investigations have uncovered tremendous abuse and neglect of the animals.

We return to Shelby in…

27. January 2019

USA | Billings | Horse auction

At the Billings auction, horses are kept in open pens with dirty, frozen grounds.

Together with our partners form Animals’ Angels USA, we return to the horse auction in Billings, Montana. When we arrive at the auction premises in the early morning, the temperature is below zero. 118 horses are present at the auction, including approximately 100 “loose horses” (destined for slaughter). They are kept in outdoor pens, where the…

14. September 2018

USA | Sugarcreek | Horse auction

Eight horses are crammed together in a small pen, without water.

Together with our partner organisation Animals’ Angels USA, we inspect a horse auction in Sugarcreek, Ohio. This is where disused horses are purchased by so-called kill buyers. The closest horse slaughterhouse is located in Québec, Canada, more than 1.100 km away from here.

The auction’s pen area is half empty today, only about 40 horses are…

20. February 2018

USA | Montana | Shelby| Bouvry Exports Bar S Feedlot

[Translate to English:] Es gibt noch immer keinen Witterungsschutz für die Pferde in Shelby.

30-31.10.2017: We visit the Bar S Feedlot in Shelby, Montana, which serves the Canadian slaughterhouse Bouvry as a collection station for slaughter horses purchased at auctions across the US. We immediately notice that the feedlot is under its capacity and there are empty pens. The horses still do not have shelter and thus no protection from sun,…