When investigators arrived at the weekly auction at New Holland Sales Stables, they immediately noticed that the sale was very busy. The parking lot was packed with vehicles, many of them from out of state. Despite the ongoing pandemic, many auction goers were spotted not wearing a mask at all or wearing it uselessly dangling around their chins. The hay sale was ongoing and there was no sign of any attempt to practice social distancing.
Inside the pig & sheep barn, it was also business as usual. Many of the pens were without water and auction employees were spotted kicking and dragging the animals to move them along. The horse auction was in full swing and the regular horse traders/kill buyers such as Cedar Ridge Farm from Louisa, VA, Fisher’s Livestock from Lewistown, PA and Cranbury Sales Stables were in attendance. Fisher, who is known to supply horses to local kill buyers and for flipping horses between the notorious Sugarcreek auction in Ohio and New Holland, had brought his truck and single deck trailer.
There were already two horses inside, both of them appeared tired and depressed. Once the horse sale concluded, everyone loaded right away, as large groups of people lingered in the parking lot for a chat. Animals’ Angels will continue to monitor the activities at this sale and has shared the observations from that day with the relevant authorities.