Ohio’s Mt. Hope Alternative Animal Auction was shut down after the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a temporary restraining order against the company that operates it. The complaint cited a dead ram and 69 violations of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) since 2022, Farm and Dairy reported.
While the restraining order is only temporary, the public and animal rights activists can breathe a sigh of relief that at least the event planned for 2024 was canceled.
More than 200 animal species are sold at the three-day auction, including kangaroos and antelope. The complaint alleges that many of the auction animals were so malnourished that their ribs were showing and they were unresponsive. Some also had apparent injuries that were ignored, and there were not enough workers to ensure the well-being of all the animals.
“Defendant’s violations of the AWA and its regulations and standards include not providing veterinary care to animals with bleeding wounds or that are unable to stand; swinging a kangaroo around forcefully by its tail; stacking improperly constructed enclosures containing small animals in precarious, tilting towers; and allowing the public to reach inside enclosures to touch bison, coyotes, fox, zebras, monkeys, and other animals without employee supervision,” the complaint said. Many of the violations were noted as repeat offenses.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has also investigated the auction. PETA’s horrifying photos show emaciated cows and goats, birds with bald patches, foxes and raccoons pacing anxiously and chewing on the cage bars, and sick animals with diarrhea covering their cages and bodies.
Animals are not commodities, but at this auction, their pain and suffering are ignored so that they can be sold to the highest bidder. While the cancellation only applies to the 2024 auction, it’s a step in the right direction. The extent and seriousness of the violations give us hope that this event will be canceled permanently in the future.
Lady Freethinker applauds the DOJ for filing a restraining order and refusing to look the other way when animals’ lives are in imminent danger.
