World · Europe · 2 hrs ago
Secret footage raises animal welfare allegations at Tönnies slaughterhouse
Secretly recorded footage from Tönnies’ Kellinghusen slaughterhouse shows alleged animal welfare violations.
The facility in Schleswig-Holstein, run by R. Thomsen, slaughters about one million pigs a year.
Animal Rights Watch says the footage shows pigs being struck, trapped under gates and struggling during carbon dioxide stunning.
The method is permitted under EU rules and is used for an estimated 80% of pigs slaughtered in Germany.
The group has filed a criminal complaint, and experts cited by NDR say some scenes may breach animal welfare law.
Tönnies says the footage shows an unauthorized use of handling tools and does not reflect its instructions; it calls carbon dioxide the most practical and animal-friendly method currently available.
The footage has been checked by NDR, and the allegations are now before the authorities.
Secret footage from the R. Thomsen slaughterhouse in Kellinghusen has prompted allegations of animal-welfare violations against its operator, Tönnies.
The footage, reportedly recorded in March and April, shows pigs being struck, trapped and struggling during carbon-dioxide stunning, according to reports.
Animal Rights Watch says it filed a criminal complaint over suspected breaches of animal-welfare law.
Tönnies says the footage shows an unauthorised use of driving aids and defends carbon-dioxide stunning as the most practical and animal-welfare-friendly method currently available for pigs.
- Who
- Animal Rights Watch has made allegations against the operators of the R. Thomsen slaughterhouse, which belongs to Tönnies.
- What
- Secret footage has prompted allegations of animal-welfare violations, and Animal Rights Watch says it filed a criminal complaint.
- When
- The footage was reportedly recorded in March and April 2026 and published on 19 October 2026.
- Where
- The R. Thomsen slaughterhouse in Kellinghusen, in Schleswig-Holstein’s Steinburg district, Germany.
- Why
- Animal Rights Watch says the footage shows suspected mistreatment and suffering during handling and carbon-dioxide stunning.
Animal Rights Watch
Tönnies
Animal welfare
Animal Rights Watch
Animal Rights Watch says the footage shows severe suffering and suspected violations of animal-welfare law.
Tönnies
Tönnies says the footage shows an unauthorised use of driving aids and that the actions did not meet its rules.
Carbon-dioxide stunning
Animal Rights Watch
Animal Rights Watch criticises the method as causing pigs distress and suffering.
Tönnies
Tönnies calls it the most practical and animal-welfare-friendly method currently available for stunning pigs.
The footage was reportedly recorded at the R. Thomsen slaughterhouse in Kellinghusen.
Reports published footage and allegations concerning the slaughterhouse, and Animal Rights Watch said it had filed a criminal complaint.
The footage was scheduled to be shown on the NDR programme Schleswig-Holstein-Magazin.
- Location
- R. Thomsen slaughterhouse, Kellinghusen, Steinburg district
- Operator
- Tönnies
- Footage dates
- March and April 2026
- Annual throughput
- About one million pigs slaughtered at the site, according to NDR
- CO2 stunning in Germany
- An estimated 80% of slaughter pigs are stunned using carbon dioxide, according to the reports
- Alleged delay
- Animal Rights Watch’s complaint says bleeding at the site took as long as 215 seconds after stunning; Tönnies says the limit there is 100 seconds
3 sources
What people are saying
If the images come to light, everyone immediately sees: This simply must not be allowed.
Animals must not suffer pain during stunning. But here we see them enduring hellish torment.
The use of the driving aids shown in the footage and the handling of the animals in this situation are not only unsuitable, but also do not comply in any way with our requirements.
And from my expert interpretation, when I look at the images, that is the case here.