Uruguay | Canelones | Horse slaughterhouses
Broken shelters are provisionally repaired before the audit of the EU-Commission.
A young horse with a serious leg injury is moved away before the EU audit.
After the audit, there are again severely injured horses and foals on the slaughterhouse premises.
Horses fighting in an overcrowded, inappropriate truck on their way to the slaughterhouse.
Our team observes the slaughterhouses Clay and Sarel in Uruguay before, during and after audits of the EU Commission and of European importers in order to detect any changes. Both plants prepare themselves for the announced audits and thus manipulate their outcome. Broken shelters are provisionally repaired, and horses with serious injuries and pregnant mares are moved away to neighbouring pastures. During the audits, there are only a few horses in the slaughterhouse pens, or none at all. Those which are present are in much better condition than the horses we usually see. We do not detect any injured or emaciated animals on audit days, neither do we see pregnant mares or foals. Furthermore, all horses are properly marked with the mandatory ear tags, and they have plenty of food available.
After the audits, the slaughterhouse pens are again crowded. Horses in poor condition, as well as pregnant mares and foals are delivered again. During unloading, we observe the usual scenes of violence, including beatings and use of electric prods.
We are going to send our investigation report to the EU-Commission and will call for an import ban on horsemeat from torturous production in South America.
