Animals’ Angels has long been committed to ensuring all animals are treated humanely, no matter their size, which is why the focus of this month’s newsletter is on small animals caught up in the ruthless livestock auction industry.

While these small animals, such as poultry and other birds, are exempt from most animal protection laws, they haven’t been forgotten by Animals’ Angels who continue to investigate and expose the abusive auctions that attempt to make a big profit off the suffering of these little creatures.

On a mission to expose the sad plight of small animals sold at auction, Animals’ Angels investigated the Middleburg Auction in Pennsylvania which routinely sells chickens, ducks, rabbits, turkeys, pheasants, quails, geese, and guinea pigs.

We knew that spending a summer afternoon at the infamous livestock auction would be difficult for even the most hard-hearted among us, but our investigators were determined to expose the miserable conditions and inhumane treatment suffered by our smallest animal friends.  

Our investigators arrived at the auction on June 7, 2021, a particularly hot and humid summer day. The outside auction started at 1:00 p.m., just as the temperature reached its peak of 90°.

Covered only by a simple roof, the animals at the auction were given no water, and fans installed in the area were kept off, denying the poor animals any relief from the stifling heat. Our investigators immediately saw that many birds were panting with open beaks, in obvious distress.

Our team was horrified to see many animals arrive in closed cardboard boxes. Many of these containers provided no ventilation, although a few appeared to have air holes or homemade wire on top.

Investigators observed several dented cages with sharp edges and were appalled to see a group of chickens stuffed into a broken laundry basket with wire on top. The wings and heads of the poor animals were caught in the wire making it impossible for the chickens to move. 

Noting that no one at the auction was paying any attention to the number of animals inside the containers, our team watched in dismay as the auction staff ignored boxes crammed full of so many birds that the animals were sitting on top of each other.

Investigators were appalled to see a female auction employee roughly handling the animals as she checked them in. She kicked the boxes full of animals and threw them around, grabbing the birds by whatever body part she could reach, yanking on a wing or a foot to pull them out of the boxes.

Small, suffering animals seemed to be all around as appalled Animals’ Angels investigators continued to document the abusive conditions they witnessed, including:

Once the auction began, and potential buyers arrived and began filling in the available seats, the auction’s management finally turned on the nearby fans to provide much needed airflow for their customers. They were utterly indifferent to the fact that the animals had already been suffering in the heat for hours.

By the end of the afternoon, Animals’ Angels investigators had collected a substantial amount of heartbreaking evidence of the abuse routinely suffered by small animals at livestock auctions such as the Middleburg Auction.

Based on the appalling conditions they’d witnessed, our team left with a resolution to provide evidence from their visit to the local humane officer and will urge him to attend future livestock sales in order to monitor the handling, treatment, and housing conditions of the animals in the auction’s care.

We know it’s hard to hear about the suffering of animals of any size, but only by investigating and exposing abusers can we bring about meaningful change.

That’s why Animals’ Angels remains committed to conducting investigations throughout the United States, and to objectively reporting, documenting, and exposing animal cruelty and abuse.

And it’s why we hope you’ll join us in making a difference in the lives of the precious animals who so desperately need our help by making a donation today.  

Animals' Angels

PO BOX 1056

Westminster, MD 21158

443-821-3343

Animals' Angels works to fight cruelty against horses, dogs and farm animals in the US, Canada and Mexico. Every week, our team conducts undercover investigations at auctions, kill pens, feedlots and slaughter plants to document the abuse animals face every day.

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For more information about our work and ongoing campaigns, please visit www.animalsangels.org

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