Canada | Alberta | Bouvry’s Prime Feedlot | Horsemeat Import

Today we return to Bouvry’s largest horse feedlot, the Prime Feedlot, where approx. 10’000 horses are fattened. It is a cold day with temperatures of -6°C with a heavy frost and light snow. Many horses are running around in the pens, playing and fighting. Several animals are kicked in the process, which is of grave concern since due to the size of the feedlot the timely detection of any injuries is highly unlikely. Also, at no time have we observed workers checking the condition of the animals in the pen area on foot.

We note five horses that have escaped the pens and are wandering along the fence line. One of them is lame. Shortly after spotting them, we see another horse that is severely limping and moving his head up and down when walking. Another horse is also struggling due to a club foot and is hardly able to put weight on his left hind leg. A lot of animals have neglected hooves and coughing is heard continuously. The pens appear crowded and no straw is found in any of them. The ground is muddy and covered in manure, which is likely the reason that only very few horses are observed lying down. We find two rib sections outside the pen area, which appear to be horse. Several coyotes are spotted roaming the area.

Our investigation shows that Bouvry has made no improvements to his feedlots, the horses still have no access to shelter and multiple horses with health concerns are found.