Witnesses Cite Routine Kicking and Injuries From Severe Crowding in Addition to Workers Smoking in 'Tinderbox' Barn
For Immediate Release:
June 7, 2011
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
Sugarcreek, Ohio — Today, PETA sent a letter to Sugarcreek Mayor Jeremiah Johnson asking him to ensure that both the fire department and the Tuscarawas County Humane Society take action against Sugarcreek Livestock Auction, which is owned by Leroy Baker. PETA staff and volunteers recently visited the facility and observed workers routinely kicking and whipping horses in order to force the animals into already severely crowded pens. They also witnessed horses slipping and falling on slick concrete floors, workers and others smoking inside an old wooden barn in violation of Ohio's fire code, and people punching and kicking horses to force them on and off trailers. Horses with puncture wounds and bites received no medical attention, and approximately two-thirds of the horses were denied food and water from at least 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Baker has a long history of drawing fines for violating Ohio's cruelty statute and livestock care standards.
"The Sugarcreek auction is a nightmare for horses who are routinely kicked, punched, whipped, and generally terrorized—all in open violation of Ohio's laws and right under the noses of the police and the local humane society," says PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk. "This despicable operation should be shut down, but as long as it's open for business, we're calling on the mayor to stop the most egregious abuses going on there."
Eyewitnesses report that stalls meant to hold one horse typically held four and that no attempt was made to isolate aggressive horses, who bit and kicked the more timid animals. Although a veterinarian was on site performing blood work required to transport bought horses out, none of the horses was seen receiving veterinary care for injuries or illnesses. Several horses—including one with a deep puncture wound to his pastern (part of the foot), another with a laceration behind his elbow and puncture wounds to his cannon bones ("shins"), and other horses who had sustained injuries during the auction—were denied basic veterinary care.
For more information, please visit PETA.org.
