PMSG: Hormone of double misery

PMSG is a fertility hormone obtained from the blood of pregnant mares and used in intensive animal breeding. It is a hormone of double misery. Its victims are horses and pigs across the globe. The animal welfare organisations Tierschutzbund Zurich (TSB) and Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF) have been investigating the production and use of PMSG since 2015. The trade with PMSG is a multi-million business. Among the main producers of the “red gold” are blood farms in Argentina and Uruguay. Nowhere else where our teams have been investigating, is the blood collection as cruel as it is in Argentina and Uruguay: The mares are beaten with brute force into the restraint boxes. Large amounts of blood are also taken from injured, sick, and weakened mares. There is a lack of veterinary care, and the foals are systematically aborted. Malnutrition is intentional: The thinner the mares, the higher are the levels of PMSG in their blood. About 30 % of the mares die every year due to the cruel blood extraction process.