Investigations
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.
Dog and Cat Trade Continues in China
In honor of International Animal Rights Day, Animal Equality released a new investigation that reveals that wet markets in China continue to sell and slaughter dogs and cats for meat, despite media reports and statements from the country’s government proclaiming otherwise. According to research, more than 10 million dogs and 4 million cats are killed for consumption each year in the country.
Animal Welfare Violations Exposed in India
Animal Equality investigated several chicken farms and meat markets from February 2019 to October 2020 in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana—states in India which are known for their chicken production. In our investigation, we found crippled birds who could not walk or reach food or water. We also found many chickens severely ill and dying of starvation, heart attacks, and respiratory infections. The carcasses of the dead birds were left to rot next to living chickens.
Wet Markets Still Operating in China
Nine months after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, Animal Equality releases a new investigation that shows China’s wet markets are still in operation. The footage was filmed in China in May 2020, with the help of local activists, and reveals that despite the pandemic, live animal markets continue to sell animals such as turtles, frogs, ducks, geese, pigeons, and others, bringing together species that in nature would never live together. Scientists believe COVID-19 originated in a wet market, and research shows that the terrible confinement conditions and mixed-species within these markets create the perfect breeding ground for animal-borne diseases.
Chicks Caged on UK Egg Farm
Animal Equality’s investigators visited Kinswood Eggs in the UK multiple times between June and September 2020. We found hens packed into extremely overcrowded cages, in which they each had less usable space than a letter-sized piece of paper. Many of these distressed birds were suffering from severe feather loss; some were almost completely bald with red, raw skin. Others didn’t survive and their bodies were left to decay in cages alongside living hens. The investigation was released in collaboration with The Daily Mail.
Animal Equality & Others Expose Cruelty of Spanish Animal Export
An investigation by a collective of animal protection organizations depicts the brutality and mistreatment suffered by animals exported from Spain into the Middle East, where the animals' welfare is not guaranteed. The investigation, carried out by Animals International and Animal Welfare Foundation, and in collaboration with Animal Equality and Compassion in World Farming, reveals the enormous suffering of live animals during their transport from Spain, as well as the cruelty of their slaughter.
Abuse Found On McDonald’s UK Supplier Farms
Animal Equality UK released distressing scenes of severe animal suffering on eight British chicken farms across Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, with our undercover filming revealing hundreds of birds suffering agonizing deaths each day. The investigation was featured as an exclusive in The Independent.
