Investigations by Topics:

28. May 2025

Serious animal welfare violations in PMSG production in Iceland: criminal charges filed!

Together with our partner organization Dýraverndarsamband Íslands (DÍS) in Iceland, we have reported the serious animal welfare violations we found during our investigation in Iceland to the police. The Icelandic authorities must take action before the next blood season begins.

28. May 2025

Serious animal welfare violations in PMSG production in Iceland: criminal charges filed!

Zusammen mit unserer Partnerorganisation in Island, Dýraverndarsamband Íslands (DÍS), haben wir die gravierenden Tierschutzverstöße, die wir bei unserer Recherche in Island vorgefunden haben, der Polizei gemeldet. Die isländischen Behörden müssen handeln, bevor die nächste Blutsaison losgeht.

23. April 2025

Investigation in Iceland: Blood collection for PMSG production

Worker kicks a pregnant mare in the stomach.

In autumn 2024, we conducted further investigations into the production of the fertility hormone PMSG from the blood of pregnant Icelandic mares. The mares are semi-wild and have little contact with humans other than for blood collection. Recent footage, obtained at six blood farms, shows that the horses endure immense stress and suffering during…

06. May 2024

Investigation in Uruguay: Bloodfarm Biomega

From December 2023 to May 2024, our field teams regularly monitored the Biomega blood farm in Melo, Uruguay. At this facility, the fertility hormone PMSG is extracted from the blood of pregnant mares and used to enhance efficiency in industrial animal breeding.

The treatment of the mares at Biomega is both unprofessional and brutal. The terrified…

10. February 2024

[Translate to English:] Investigation in Argentinia: Bloodfarm Syntex

[Translate to English:] Blutstute mit offener, unbehandelter Wunde am Hinterbein.

In early February, we spent a week observing the Argentine blood farm Syntex, where blood is taken from pregnant mares for the PMSG preparation Fixplan, which is exported to Europe and Germany.

On the pastures of Syntex, we found sheer misery. Nearly every other mare was lame or had open wounds. For years, we have criticized the blood collection…

18. August 2023

Investigation in Iceland: Blood Collection & Laboratory Samples, PMSG Production

[Translate to English:] Frightened mare with eyes wide open and flared nostrils Verängstigte Stute mit weit geöffneten Augen und geweiteten Nüstern

In summer 2023, we conduct further investigations into the production of the fertility hormone PMSG in Iceland. The new footage from two blood farms shows that the suffering of the blood mares continues. They are kicked, beaten and confined in injury-inducing restraint boxes. The mares are frightened or panic, they resist and try to escape.

The…

05. March 2022

PMSG investigation in Argentina: Blood farm Syntex

Inappropriate handling of the blood mares. Leather whips are used.

During a six-day investigation in Argentina, we observe the Syntex blood farm. This blood farm keeps thousands of mares from which blood is taken during pregnancy for the production of the fertility hormone PMSG. We had already filmed the violent handling of the mares during blood collection in both 2015 and 2018. There have been no improvements to…

12. December 2021

PMSG investigation in Uruguay: Blood farm Biomega

Emaciated mare in a pasture with low-nutrient grass.

During an investigation in Uruguay, we observe the Biomega blood farm over two days. Blood collections from pregnant mares continue to take place to produce the fertility hormone PMSG. We take a look at the wide pastures where the so-called “blood mares” are kept. It is very hot, and the small bushes do not provide enough shade for the horses. The…

15. September 2021

Iceland | PMSG production | Blood extraction

Workers use brute force to move the mares into the restraint boxes.

On this relatively small blood farm, blood is extracted today from 60 mares in three restraint boxes, which takes three hours in total. The mares are restrained in the boxes with a belt over their backs so that they cannot rear up. Their heads are pulled up by a rope and fixed to one side of the box. Then, a large-bore cannula is inserted into…