Imagine walking into a sale barn to see a horse lying on the floor with a bloated stomach and its head tied tightly to a feed trough. Imagine it was so incapacitated that it didn't even stand up or protect itself when auction visitors kick it as they walk by. Then imagine that next to this horse were other horses in equal or worse condition. This is exactly what investigators for  Animals' Angels found when they attended recent sales at New Holland Auction in Pennsylvania. What they witnessed was outrageous and shocking. Throughout the holding pens were horses with swollen limbs, festering skin abrasions, devastating pelvic injuries, horses so emaciated it looked as though the poor things hadn't eaten in weeks, and babies sold with debilitating septic joint infections.

 

Sadly this is not the first time we have seen horses in such pitiful conditions at this sale.  And if an injured horse seems to be receiving too much attention by visitors, it is simply removed to a dark, out of the way part of the barn by auction personnel, away from prying eyes.

 

 

On February 16, 2015, our investigators found piles of dead goats and sheep. Next to one of the "dead piles," was a sheep on the verge of death, left to die in the subzero temperatures. Sadly, our volunteers quickly realized the sheep was not alone in her tragic end.  A goat had also been thrown away.

 

He was unable to get up because something was very wrong with his legs.  This is the fate of animals that can't be sold at New Holland. They are tossed on to the "dead pile" like trash and forgotten while they slowly wither away and die, their last hours spent suffering and in pain.
 

 

Unfortunately, what the investigators observed is by far no isolated incident. In 2007, the auction was convicted of animal cruelty based on evidence provided by AA for almost the exact same crimes. Animals were ignored, left for dead, and quickly forgotten. All is not lost however! The auction was convicted and can be again! 

 

We were outraged then and we are just as outraged now at how cruel some humans can be to their fellow living creatures. Heartbroken, but determined to end their misery, our investigators intervened on behalf of the poor goat and sheep left suffering and barely alive in the frigid temps.  We contacted the local police to step in and to euthanize the languishing animals.

 

It is time to hold New Holland Auction accountable for the poor treatment of the animals in their care. Cruelty charges have been filed. Animals' Angels investigators will gladly take the stand as witnesses in the trial scheduled against the New Holland Auction on April 29th. We're gratified that our work in the field and willingness to testify will help obtain justice for these animals.

 

We will keep you advised on the outcome of the court case and once the legalities have concluded, we will release our full report on this investigation.