Court decides on controversial videos from Oldenburger slaughterhouse

Court decides on controversial videos from Oldenburger slaughterhouse

In Oldenburg, two animal rights activists are currently on trial, a procedure that attracts a lot of attention to practices in German slaughterhouses. On July 14, 2025, the decision of the Oldenburg Regional Court on the lawsuit of a slaughterhouse operator against the activists of "Animal Rights Watch" is expected. In April 2024, they had illegally penetrated into a slaughterhouse in Lohne and could take secret video recordings of the CO2 anesthesia of pigs. [NDR reports that ...] (https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/oldenburg_ostfriesland/heimliche-videos-im-schlacht-wartet-wartet ,schwine-168.html)

The annoyances are obvious: the slaughterhouse operator demands 98,000 euros in damages and a ban on the distribution of the videos, which, as he argues, have significantly damaged his reputation. The recordings show how pigs are driven into a gondola and stunned with highly concentrated CO2, a method that is legally allowed, but remains controversial in public. Süddeutsche describes that…

animal protection or cruelty to animals?

However, the activists cannot be intimidated and have campaigned in a dunning procedure by leading the rejection of a comparison. In her opinion, the public has the right to the pictures that show a brutal reality behind the scenes of the slaughterhouses. Anna Schubert, who was on site at the nightly campaign, gives this opinion voice by abseiling into the deep shaft of the narcotics and speaks of the "black box" of the battle stations. [NDR reports that ...] (https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/oldenburg_ostfriesland/heimliche-videos-im-schlacht-wartet-wartet ,schwine-168.html)

Another central point in the process is whether the CO2 anesthesia represents cruelty to animals. The slaughterhouse operator argues that the intruders should not have any respect for foreign property. In addition, the CO2 anesthesia is controversial among experts, since it can cause stress in the animals and is considered a little compassionate way to send it to the slaughterhouse. Süddeutsche describes that…

the legal bases

What many may not know: In Germany, Paragraph 5 of the Animal Welfare Act applies, which prescribes an anesthetic obligation in painful interventions on animals. Animal welfare organizations and veterinarians are required to ensure that the well -being of the animals is maintained. According to [Tierschutzgesetz.net] (https://tierschutzgesetz.net/tierschutzgesetz/tschutzgesetz-%C2%A75-betaeubung-bei- interview/), every procedure that Animals Involved must follow strict regulations. This means that all interventions - be it medical treatments or the slaughter - have to take place with a corresponding anesthetic.

In 2021, over 42 million medical interventions on animals were carried out in Germany, which illustrates the massive effects of the applicable laws. According to the Animal Welfare Act, animal owners must guarantee that their animals do not suffer unnecessarily, which makes this discussion about ** CO2 anesthesia ** particularly relevant.

The decision of the court is eagerly awaited and could not only have an impact on the operators of slaughterhouses, but also focus on the agenda in Germany. It remains to be seen how the court will judge here and what consequences this could have for the activists and the slaughterhouse operator.