Edenhope Abattoir

Previously known as Edenhope Meats, the slaughterhouse has been owned by David John Meek and Christine Ann Meek since 2011. The couple live in Penola, South Australia, where they have a butcher shop, DJ & CA Meek Butchers, which has been operating for 40 years.

Over two weeks in October 2024, investigators installed hidden cameras inside the slaughterhouse,

Multiple instances of sheep, pigs, and goats actively struggling in the stun box, avoiding the worker’s attempts to stun them were captured. The rough, aggressive stabs of the electrical stunner into the animals’ heads is often ineffective and causes stressed and frightened behaviour. One of the sheep becomes so frightened that they leap from the stun box onto the kill room floor, where they are then tackled by workers and killed while fully conscious.

Cows in the knock box were shot with a bolt gun numerous times due to ineffective stunning. Oftentimes this caused the cows to be partially-stunned, still lifting their heads and struggling while the workers prepared to shoot them again.

Cows exhibited stressed and panicked behaviour, as they attempted to jump out of or turn around in the knock box before they were bolt gunned. Many continued showing signs of consciousness as they were moved to the tip out, often struggling and kicking while a worker cut their throats open.