Tönnies-owned slaughterhouse under investigation for animal mistreatment

Video footage released by the animal rights organization Animal Rights Watch has triggered a public outcry and a prosecutor's investigation regarding animal mistreatment at a slaughterhouse in Kellinghusen, Schleswig-Holstein.

The recordings, which have been verified by NDR, originate from the R. Thomsen slaughterhouse, a facility belonging to the major meat producer Tönnies. The footage depicts pigs being mistreated, including instances of animals gasping for air, having limbs severed, and being struck. It also shows live pigs falling from hooks and struggling on the ground.

A central point of contention is the use of CO2 for stunning animals. The videos show animals being driven into a metal cage that descends into a gas-filled shaft. Animal Rights Watch representative Anna Schubert described the process as a “cruel struggle for breath” involving “terror of death and stinging, burning pain.” Kai Braunmiller, a veterinary official, stated that the footage suggests the practices may not comply with animal welfare laws, which prohibit causing unnecessary pain and suffering.