Animals’ Angels investigators visited the collecting station of kill buyer Jodi Ramey. The extensive property features lush, wide open pastures and a massive barn with backside loading ramp.
A large, plastic horse statute greets visitors. Unfortunately, his slaughter horses did not get to enjoy the green fields, since they were confined in a muddy holding pen next to the barn. Investigators counted approx. 25 slaughter horses, most of them had auction tags still attached to their hips. Several were very thin and their bodies were covered in old scars and harness sores, likely from a former “career” as an Amish/Mennonite buggy horse. They were gathered around a bale of poor quality hay. Several stock trailer and Ramey’s semi were parked on the premises and people were moving equipment around. Several groups of resale horses were grazing on the surrounding pastures.
Ramey used to ship his horses to the Cavel plant in Illinois and has been given a warning by USDA for shipping injured horses to the plant. In September of 2004, Jodie Ramey had a terrible accident with his double deck trailer on State Route 1 in Indiana. There were more than 50 horses loaded on the trailer, 21 horses died in the accident. State Route 1 is commonly used by truck drivers
to avoid the scales.
( Dozens of horses killed after trailer overturns: http://www.wlwt.com/news/3733772/detail.html)
Animals’ Angels will continue to monitor this kill buyer.
