GAIA has published images filmed between February and April 2026 at the Ath abattoir and asked Adrien Dolimont, the Walloon minister of animal welfare, to order its immediate closure. The group says the facility slaughters 20,000 sheep each year and that the images show repeated mistreatment over several weeks.
GAIA and Adrien Dolimont
GAIA tied its request to what it described as exceptional severity, repetition over several months and a structural pattern inside the Ath abattoir. In its statement, the organization said: "Au vu de la gravité exceptionnelle des faits constatés, de leur répétition sur plusieurs mois et de leur caractère structurel, GAIA demande au ministre wallon du Bien-être animal, Adrien Dolimont (MR), d’ordonner sans délai la fermeture immédiate de l’établissement."
GAIA also said: "Après analyse des images, je ne peux pas parler de simples incidents isolés. Ce qui apparaît sur les images révèle un schéma récurrent de graves défaillances dans les procédures d’abattage. Certaines séquences se distinguent par leur gravité exceptionnelle et par l’importance des souffrances animales qui les accompagnent."
Veterinary report on slaughter
An independent veterinary expert analyzed the images and described a recurring pattern of serious failures in slaughter procedures and avoidable animal suffering. The report says cattle still showed signs of consciousness and sensitivity after stunning, some animals were still breathing rhythmically after being suspended from the slaughter chain, and some tried to lift their heads or vocalized while slaughter was already underway.
The same report says several cases involved repeated stunning failures followed by late corrective shots, sometimes after animals were already hooked or bleeding. It also notes the apparent absence of systematic checks for unconsciousness before slaughter operations continued, along with the absence of visibly available emergency equipment in case of insufficient or failed stunning.
Mons complaint and WapiMeat
GAIA filed a complaint with civil-party status before the Mons investigating judge and asked the competent authorities to open a thorough investigation into the facts it revealed. The Ath abattoir was put into service in 1958, operated as a municipal abattoir until recently, and has been officially run by the WapiMeat cooperative since 1 January 2026.
The footage also shows sheep and lambs being thrown into bins, seized by a leg or by the wool, dragged on the ground and beaten, while goats were moved roughly. GAIA says the animals concerned suffered severe suffering inflicted deliberately, and the images also show cattle receiving blows and electric shocks, including several sequences in which electric prods were used on the genitals and anus of cattle that were unable to get up.
The cooperative itself was created in June 2025 by fifteen farmers. GAIA’s demand now puts the future of the Ath site in front of Adrien Dolimont, while the judicial file in Mons adds a separate path for the facts documented in the footage.
Immediate closure demand
The practical consequence for the Ath abattoir is direct: GAIA wants it shut without delay, and its complaint has already been placed before the Mons investigating judge. For workers, farmers and operators tied to the site, the next step will come from the Walloon minister of animal welfare or from the judicial authorities handling the complaint, not from the images themselves.
