7/10/09 Sugarcreek Horse Auction, OH
Animals’ Angels investigators returned to the Sugarcreek Auction. There were 130 horses that day. While our investigators were observing the pens from the catwalk above they noticed a draft horse down in one of the isles. One of the employees was holding the horse’s tail up and was poking it with a long stick and kicking the animal. The horse tried to get up but seemed to have trouble getting its leg under it to rise. After a few minutes, the employee stopped kicking the animal and got an electric cattle prod. He started using it excessively on the horse’s sensitive areas. He was stopped by an outraged observer who coaxed and pulled the horse by the halter and got it up slowly. There appeared to be something wrong with the horse’s hind quarters. Animals’ Angels has reported this appalling incident to the Ohio Department of Agriculture.