Investigations
Mexican pig slaughterhouse in Hidalgo investigated and denounced
Animal Equality has documented acts of cruelty against pigs at its 22nd investigated slaughterhouse in Mexico, this time at Rastro Municipal Regional in Tizayuca, Hidalgo. Investigators filed complaints with Mexico’s Ministry of Agriculture, Hidalgo’s Environmental Protection Attorney, and the Ministry of Health, calling for sanctions and action to end the abuse.
Animals killed while conscious at US catfish slaughterhouse
Animal Equality investigated Simmons Farm Raised Catfish in Yazoo City, Mississippi, one of the largest USDA-inspected catfish slaughterhouses in the U.S., supplying Kroger, Save a Lot, Piggly Wiggly, Cracker Barrel, and Captain D’s. Investigators documented widespread abuse, including fish left out of water for up to an hour before being beheaded while conscious—violations of state animal cruelty laws.
The egg industry’s practice of forced molting
Animal Equality released an investigation into the forced fasting of hens to increase their egg production, a practice called “forced molting.” The investigation took place in Mexico’s top egg-producing state, Jalisco. Following the investigation, we’ve presented an initiative in the Congress of Jalisco that calls for a ban on forced molting.
Mummified animals found on Italian farm
Animal Equality released an investigation exposing abuse and neglect at a Lombardy, Italy, pig farm affiliated with the Bompieri Group, known for marketing its products as the “Excellence of Made in Italy.” Conducted with local Italian television, the investigation documents filthy living conditions, sewage spills, and mummified, worm-filled pig carcasses abandoned in the farm corridors—violating animal disposal laws and threatening the environment.
Pregnant Cows Killed in Brazilian Slaughterhouses
Animal Equality released a shocking investigation into Brazil’s meat industry and its practice of slaughtering pregnant cows. Considered an animal mistreatment practice and condemned by experts, we have urged Brazil’s government to forbid the killings of these at-risk animals.
Pigs Hammered to Death on “High Welfare” UK Farm
Animal Equality released disturbing footage of animal suffering filmed at P&G Sleigh Pig Unit in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Our investigator filmed very troubling scenes as well as a number of serious legal violations on the farm, which is owned by senior pig industry figure, Philip Sleigh. Pigs raised on the “quality assured” farm are slaughtered at a nearby abattoir contracted by Pilgrim’s Pride, a large meat company that supplies Lidl, Tesco, and Marks & Spencer amongst other major restaurants and retailers.
Mexico’s Factory Farms are an Environmental Nightmare
Animal Equality in Mexico released a new report with alarming figures on the impact that animal farming has on the environment. The report follows the 2020 release of the short documentary, Enemy of the Planet, which was produced using drones that flew over two industrial pig farms in Jalisco, Mexico, and showed visible ecological damage due to the farms’ operation. Faced with overwhelming and shocking evidence, we reported 44 farms to the authorities for acts and omissions that are causing ecological imbalances and damage to the environment.
Fish Farms in India Leave Animals to Suffocate
Animal Equality exposed India’s fishery and aquaculture sector with our team witnessing fish suffering in a variety of ways. One such practice is “fish milking,” an extremely painful process in which the eggs from a female fish are squeezed out by hand. In these farms, fishes are killed by asphyxiation as workers pull them from the water and put them on ice to slowly and agonizingly suffocate to death.
Pig Farm in Catalonia, Spain, Exposed and Denounced
Animal Equality has denounced sanitation irregularities, animal abuse, and possible environmental crimes after documenting the conditions of the animals on a pig farm in Catalonia, Spain, where the highest concentration of intensive pig farms are located.
Mistreatment Found on Brescia Pig Farms
In collaboration with Italian television, Animal Equality released an investigation that reveals the cruel reality for pigs bred for meat in Northern Italy—a region that markets its products with the stamp of the "excellence of Made in Italy." Working with Italian journalist Roberta Spinelli, our team visited a pig farm in Brescia, Italy, and documented terrible abuse and suffering—images in stark contrast from the idyllic picture of contented animals on green pastures often painted by the region’s producers.
Scottish Salmon Killed While Conscious
Animal Equality released undercover footage from a slaughter facility operated by The Scottish Salmon Company, a supplier of major UK supermarkets, as well as numerous international retailers, including in the US. The pioneering footage, shot by an undercover investigator and featured in The Times, is the first of its kind to be released in the UK and shows the brutal nature in which farmed salmon are killed.
Leaked Footage Shows Cruelty on German Chicken Farm
Animal Equality published harrowing footage of chickens suffering on a German farm used by the country’s largest chicken producer, Wiesenhof. During undercover research at a broiler chicken farm in the German state Saxony-Anhalt from February to April 2020, numerous violations of animal welfare regulations were documented. The resulting material was leaked to Animal Equality and in turn, we filed a complaint against the farm with the relevant German authorities.