Finger Lakes Livestock Exchange

For my senior project, I decided to write about the connection of U.S. slaughter auctions and Mexican slaughterhouses.  Below is one of the sections of my paper translated into English.  These posts are better read in order.  This is Post #4.
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Shilo, rescued from Finger Lakes Livestock Exchange in 2015

Finger Lakes Livestock Exchange is located in Canandaigua, NY, outside of the city of Rochester.  This is the biggest slaughter auction in New York that functions independently (Fingerlakes Horse Auction, Canandaigua, NY 7/26/14, 2014).  Horses are sold at this auction five times a year and they sell roughly 250 horses each time (Sherwood, 2011).  There are less horses at Finger Lakes Livestock Exchange than at Sugarcreek Livestock Auction and Finger Lakes has more racehorses and Amish horses for sale.  According to an investigation done by Animals Angels, at Finger Lakes Livestock Exchange, there was not enough water offered to the horses and that the horses were tied too tightly to be able to reach it.  Also, the taller horses could not lift their heads as the ceilings were too low and the workers were whipping the horses (Finger Lakes Livestock Exchange, Canandaigua NY 3/24/12, 2012).  In another investigation in 2014, the horses did not receive water or hay.  There was metal and wires hanging from the ceiling that the horses could get to and the horses were skinny.  In front of two donkeys, there was a sign that said "Johnny's Meat Market" (Fingerlakes Horse Auction, Canandaigua, NY 7/26/14, 2014).  However, the director of the Ontario Humane Society has not received any complaints about the treatment of horses at Finger Lakes Livestock Exchange.  According to the owners of the auction, there is a vet that works there and have said that "people who don't want to deal with their horses for whatever reason will 'dump them on us... and some will go to slaughter.  Unfortunately, this is what happens to them" (Sherwood, 2011).


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There are thousands of horses that go for slaughter each year and the numbers aren't slowing.  If you would like to donate to save horses, please go to this link: Gofundme.com/saved

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References:

Fingerlakes Horse Auction, Canandaigua, NY 7/26/14 (2014, July 26).  Retrieved from http://www.animalsangels.org/investigations/horses/fingerlakes-horse-auction-canandaigua-ny-7-26-14

Finger Lakes Livestock Exchange, Canandaigua NY 3/24/12 (2012, May 11).  Retrieved from http://www.animalsangels.org/investigations/horses/finger-lakes-livestock-exchange-canandaigua-ny-3-24-12 

Sherwood, J. (2011).  Horses to slaughter?.  Retrieved from https://www.mpnnow.com/article/20110807/News/308079978

Photo is courtesy of Thunder Ranch Horse Rescue Project