For several years ago, since 2012., swiss animal welfare organizations –Tierschutzbund Zürich (TSB) and Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF)-have been targeting the conditions in an Australian export slaughterhouse called Meramist, where horse meat is “produced” for Europe. The pictures are shocking!

Now politicians are called upon to act.

New investigations in Australia show the poor conditions during transport, at auctions, assembly centers, and the EU-approved abattoir Meramist.

Horses are transported over long distances in cattle trucks which are completely inappropriate for them. They are brutally mistreated with sticks and electric shocks. Feed, weather protection, and veterinary care are insufficient or completely lacking.

A large number of horses are not stunned correctly and are bolted up to five times. Some horses still show signs of consciousness when being hoisted and bled out.

The investigations, carried out over a period of more than two years, clearly show that these are not individual cases – this is systematic torture.

The European importers, among them the Belgian company Multimeat and the Swiss import association VPI, have long claimed to have animal welfare issues in overseas slaughterhouses under control with manuals and audits. How much more evidence do they need?

Furthermore, Australian horsemeat poses a health risk for European consumers.
More than 50% of the slaughtered horses are former racehorses, called “wastage” in Australia, and the risk of drug residues in their meat is particularly high.

Racehorses that are no longer profitable are discarded at Meramist, about 4000-5000 each year, and slaughtered for export only.
Some of them have raced just a few weeks before slaughter.

Australia: More than half of the slaughtered horses are disused racehorses.

Tierschutzbund Zürich, Animal Welfare Foundation, Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses, Dier&Recht, GAIA, Italian Horse Protection, Welfarm, and Eurogroup for Animals call on the European importers and the EU Commission to stop horsemeat imports from Australia since compliance with the applicable EU requirements regarding animal welfare and traceability cannot be guaranteed.

https://www.st-georg.de/news/pferde-und-leute/schweizer-tierschuetzer-gegen-import-von-pferdefleisch-aus-australischen-qualschlachthoefen/

And I mean…Horse racing has been repeatedly shaken by scandals around the world in recent years.
Australia seems to be the forerunner in all forms of animal cruelty, but the current crimes against “down” racehorses will have particularly serious consequences for the whole horse racing mafia.

We’re talking about destroying animals on an industrial scale. We see animals suffer. If anyone in the industry can justify that, it’s a criminal.

Photos from the horse collection point of Les Evans, he is one of the largest horse suppliers to the Meramist slaughterhouse.
This is what the former racing champions look like and will soon be delivered to Meramist as “battle” horses.
The collection point is intentionally hidden from the public eye.

The horses are likely to die here without medical help (Image: confidential source).

An emaciated, injured horse can no longer get on its feet (Image: confidential source).

Another weak horse is also left to its own devices (Image: confidential source).

https://www.animal-welfare-foundation.org/blog/australien-manilla-new-south-wales-pferde-sammelstelle-von-les-evans

Vet treatment costs money, but this is not invested in horses intended for slaughter.
The Australian organization documented numerous bone remains and a horse skull that is found in the pens at Les Evans.
Sick and injured horses probably die here without medical help.

Australia slaughters horses exclusively for export, up to 100,000 horses per year.
And don’t forget: The meat of the tortured horses ends up on the plates of the carnivores.

My best regards to all, Venus