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Imagine walking into an animal auction and seeing a horse lying on the ground with a bloated stomach and its head tied tightly to a feed trough...so incapacitated it can't stand up or protect itself when auction visitors kick it as they walk by.
Imagine horses in holding pens with swollen limbs, festering skin abrasions, devastating pelvic injuries, some so emaciated they look like they haven't eaten in weeks, some just babies with debilitating septic joint infections.
Imagine a pig left to die among the bodies of ten other dead pigs, literally drowning in liquid manure, inhaling the disgusting muck, barely able to breathe.
Actually, you don't need to imagine these scenes - just visit
New Holland Sales Stables in Lancaster County, PA, where cruelty like this is routine. New Holland is one of the largest auctions on the East Coast, with thousands of animals coming through each week. Sadly, many experience
heartbreaking abuse, deplorable conditions and a total disregard for their most basic needs.
Warning - Graphic Content that might the disturbing to some viewers
THREE CONVICTIONS, ZERO IMPROVEMENT
Over the last decade, Animals' Angels investigations have resulted in three convictions/guilty pleas against New Holland or its employees, yet instead of the fines and public embarrassment causing conditions to improve, they've gotten worse. Auction management, the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office and the New Holland police all stonewall investigators striving to improve conditions.
So we're asking you to take some specific actions to make the auction and those charged with enforcing animal protection there accountable!
We need to stand up and speak for the animals, and we have six ways you can do that. But first, some facts...
In September 2007 Animals' Angels
reported three sick sheep lying on a loading dock for at least six hours without veterinary care. A district judge found the auction guilty of three counts of animal cruelty and fined them $1,500. A drop in the bucket financially, but at least recognition of the conditions the auction allowed...and continues to allow.
In February 2015 , Animals' Angels
videotaped a sheep suffering from hypothermia, flat on its side and barely alive, near a goat also unable to get up. Both had been thrown away like trash, left to die on a "dead pile" of other, already dead animals. The District Court of Lancaster County found the auction guilty of two charges of animal cruelty and fined them a total $1500. Again, a small amount of money. Again, nothing changed.
In February 2017, based on our evidence, a Lancaster County judge charged a New Holland employee with cruelty to animals when he failed to help the pig we mentioned above who was left to die among other dead pigs, drowning in liquid manure. The case ended with a guilty plea and $250.00 in fines. Since then? It's been business as usual...
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Pig found drowning in liquid manure
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COVER-UPS, BULLYING AND BULL$#@&
Auction management has refused Animals' Angels offers of training and help to improve conditions. Instead, they've tried to keep their cruelty from the eyes of those who would help the animals. They've even used bullying to get animal defenders to back down.
- Rescue groups that tried to help sale horses by showing them on social media to potential buyers were forbidden from photographing the horses.
- The auction built a high wall around the pig pens, making it almost impossible to document abuse.
- When we found yet another dying sheep in a pen in November of 2017, and auction workers did nothing to help it, we videotaped it, and had the auction veterinarian euthanize it. We sent the video to the District Attorney's Office, where Detective Joanne Resh was assigned the case. Amazingly, she declined to pursue it, saying the auction did what we asked, and since there was no proof of how the sheep was injured, a necropsy should have been performed. The chance of getting a necropsy on a sheep in an auction pen is zero to none. And why would a necropsy even be necessary? All the previous cases with almost identical circumstances were decided without even the mentioning of such a procedure. Worse still, when we filed a private criminal complaint (we did not want to accept her inexplainable decision), we found the same detective was in charge of deciding our case. We're still waiting for her response...and justice for the sheep.
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Sheep left to die in pen - not cruelty, according to Det. Resh.
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- Just last August Dr. Holt, New Holland's auction veterinarian, angrily confronted Animals' Angels, saying there would be "absolutely no more cooperation" with them - ironic because he has never cooperated with Animals' Angels.
- Recently, when Animals' Angels called the New Holland police to report a potential violation of Pennsylvania law, they didn't even want to come to the auction. Requests for a meeting to address our concerns regarding this lack of response were ignored by Police Chief William Leighty.
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Here's how you can take action for the animals!
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We are the voice for these abused animals, and we're going to attack those causing their suffering on several fronts. We need to flood phone lines, email accounts, and Facebook pages with polite but powerful demands for change:
1. Contact the Lancaster County District Attorney's animal abuse tip-line. Created after a scandal involving the mishandling of a potential cruelty case by a humane society police officer, it allows a
nyone who sees evidence of animal cruelty to report it to [email protected] . Your tip can go something like this:
"I'm writing to report the ongoing abuse and terrible conditions at New Holland Sales Stables. Animals' Angels has documented time and time again that sick and injured pigs, sheep and goats are condemned to long, agonizing deaths while auction management turns a blind eye. In fact, evidence provided by Animals' Angels is waiting for your decision right now. Please make good on your promise to help animals: Investigate this auction and force them to act humanely."
2. Call the New Holland Police Department (Chief William D.Leighty) at 717-354-4647 and raise concerns about the New Holland auction. Here's what you can politely tell them:
"As a concerned citizen, I'm very disturbed to hear about the horrendous conditions for animals at New Holland Sales Stables. I understand that your officers have not responded when investigators reported potential violations of animal protection laws.This is unacceptable and I am requesting you to be more responsive in the future."
3. Call New Holland Sales Stables management at 717-354-4341 and let them know you demand change. If they don't answer, leave a message.
"As a concerned citizen and animal lover, I'm very disturbed by the deplorable conditions, cruel treatment and lack of humane oversight for horses and other animals at your auction. I'm calling on you to improve conditions & handling and make this auction a more humane place for animals."
5. Sign this petition to Lancaster County District Attorney Craig Stedman, which Animals' Angels will deliver to his office. Please mail or email the petition back to Animals' Angels.
6. Donate to our legal fund.
Because farm animals are "livestock," they have far fewer legal protections than companion animals, but we will not rest until New Holland is held accountable for their inhumane and callous treatment of weak and dying animals. The auction was convicted three times before on our evidence and they MUST be again! But we need help to ensure we can make that happen. That's why we're reaching out to YOU. Your donation to our legal fund will greatly help us pressure the authorities in charge to give New Holland MORE than just a slap on the wrist this time around. We must go after them NOW and with full force.
THE ANIMALS NEED YOU
With YOUR support, we can ensure that New Holland is punished for their continued cruelty and neglect of basic animal welfare, and that they change their ways.
We need you. But more importantly, the animals need you. YOU can make a difference - right now - in the lives of the many animals going through this sale. Please donate, write, call, and sign the petition today.
We must stand together and expose this auction. It's up to you to give the animals a voice and end their suffering.
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is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, so ALL donations are tax deductible.
Your support is crucial to continue the fight against animal cruelty.
Animals' Angels counts on you!
Help us be there for the animals.
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| ABOUT US! |
Animals' Angels works to improve the conditions for farm animals and horses all over the country.
Our investigators are out in the field nationwide, visiting auctions, kill pens, feedlots and slaughter plants to uncover the cruelty and abuse that animals all too often face each and every day.
Animals' Angels, Inc.
PO Box 1056
Westminster, MD 21158
443-821-3343
[email protected]
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