OUR INVESTIGATIONS INTO SLAUGHTERHOUSES
Abuse and Cruelty Happening Behind Closed Doors
Slaughterhouses are some of the cruellest places in the world, where every year, billions of farmed animals are subject to unimaginable suffering. These facilities are also some of the most secretive. The animal agriculture industry tries desperately to hide what happens behind their closed doors.
However, over the years, Animal Equality has gathered extensive undercover footage which allows us to expose the cruel reality of slaughterhouses to the public.
Every day, millions of farmed animals – including pigs, cows, chickens, sheep, and fish – are brutally killed, with complete disregard for their suffering and feelings, in slaughterhouses across the UK and around the world.
Inside these secretive places, our brave investigators have repeatedly discovered animals being mistreated and welfare laws being violated.
Stunning methods can be extremely painful or even ineffective – meaning some animals are killed while fully conscious.
Animal Equality has been investigating slaughterhouses all over the world for several years, documenting and exposing the cruelty that the meat industry tries so desperately to hide – a cruelty that knows no boundaries.
Recently, thanks to our work and that of other animal protection groups, public opinion is shifting. More and more people are calling for regulations that take into account the treatment of animals at slaughter.
The latest news comes from Mexico, where the State of Puebla has approved a bill that bans unregulated slaughterhouses and prohibits the slaughter of animals without stunning. This resolution came as a result of a series of meetings between Animal Equality and the Government of Puebla and it will impact more than 100 million animals every year.
Although our goal is a world where no animals are slaughtered, this is a significant step forward for animals.
Every day, the lives of farmed animals are changing for the better – all made possible by your support for our mission. With your help, we will continue to publish important investigations which reveal what really goes on behind the scenes of an industry that exploits animals.
Please share this page with your friends and contacts, to show them the truth about the cruelty of slaughterhouses.
Recent Animal Equality Investigations Into Slaughterhouses
2021, Cruelty in an Italian pig slaughterhouse
In June 2021, Animal Equality released an investigation revealing the terrible cruelty that pigs were put through inside an Italian slaughterhouse in the province of Cremona, in which 3,000 pigs are slaughtered each week.
2021, Cows killed while pregnant in a Brazilian slaughterhouse
In June 2021, Animal Equality released images from a shocking investigation into the slaughter of pregnant cows in a Brazilian abattoir. Our investigator filmed distressing scenes including a pregnant cow whose unborn calf struggled inside her, slowly being deprived of oxygen while their mother bled out. We also found live calves being cut from their mothers’ bodies and discarded on the slaughterhouse floor.
2021, A first look inside a salmon slaughterhouse
In February 2021, Animal Equality released a first-of-its-kind undercover investigation inside a Scottish Salmon Company slaughterhouse, documenting animals suffering from prolonged pain. Many salmon had their gills cut while they were still conscious, causing them to be in agony for up to several minutes. The Scottish Salmon Company supplies major UK supermarkets Waitrose and Co-op, alongside premium retailers, hotels and restaurants.
2019, Inside a family-run slaughterhouse
Animal Equality has conducted several investigations inside small family-run slaughterhouses in Italy, where we have found the same cruelty that is characteristic of intensive farms. The footage documents negligent workers breaking chickens’ fragile bones during the slaughter process, resulting in a painful death.
2019, Cruelty made in Italy
In 2019, Animal Equality released shocking footage filmed inside a pig slaughterhouse in northern Italy. The investigation clearly shows ineffective stunning taking place, as pigs are seen agonising for minutes after their throats are cut.
2019, Mexican lamb slaughter
In November 2019, Animal Equality released an investigation into Mexico’s unregulated, ‘underground’ slaughterhouses, bringing to light the cruel treatment and slaughter of lambs and sheep.
2019, The horror of UK sheep slaughter
In November 2019, Animal Equality released shocking footage filmed inside Farmers Fresh Wales slaughterhouse in Wrexham, North Wales. The investigation uncovered horrifying scenes of sheep getting painfully trapped in machinery and being beheaded in front of each other. Much of this suffering took place with an official Food Standards Agency inspector present.
2019, The slaughter of turkeys in Spain
In 2019 Animal Equality carried out an investigation inside a turkey slaughterhouse – a facility that slaughters 250,000 animals a week for export to the United States for Thanksgiving. The footage documents the extreme cruelty that fills the last hours of the turkeys’ lives.