Arlow Kiehl is a long term horse trader, who has been in the business of shipping and selling horses to slaughter for over 60 years. Kiehl has a long history of animal cruelty as well as violations of the Commercial Transport of Equines to Slaughter Regulations. His latest conviction was in November of 2013 for shipping a debilitated horse to the New Holland auction in Pennsylvania. The horse was suffering from severe laminitis and had to be euthanized. Kiehl was fined and had to pay restitution. Due to the fact that Kiehl also had an outstanding warrant for his arrest, police officers ready to detain Kiehl were standing by at the New Holland trial. 
However, Kiehl avoided incarceration by also paying the requested fine for that case.
Investigators arrived at the Watertown premises at 10:30am. There were approx. 30 horses visible, all of them confined to a muddy pen with a round bale of poor quality hay. Several of them were in poor condition, a grey Percheron was a visual 2 on the Henneke scale. The entire pen area was very dilapidated, with broken fencing, dangerous, metal pipes and other trash scattered around. Arlow Kiehls’ Diamond K Ranch semi was backed up to the barn. The sides of the trailer connected to it were boarded up with wood. However, there were several holes visible, putting the horses at risk of obtaining horrific leg injuries. 
Kiehl no longer has a contract with the Canadian plants, however, he continues to supply horses to other kill buyers and serves as a dumping ground for horses rejected at the border.