Inside a Rabbit Slaughterhouse: Cloverdale Rabbit Company

Located in Hollister (San Benito County), Cloverdale Rabbit Company is the second largest commercial rabbit meat slaughterhouse in California. Reaching 'slaughter age', meat rabbits are transported long distances from all areas of California, Oregon and Washington in overcrowded cages to Cloverdale.

Typically, Cloverdale processes 1,200 rabbits per week (manually killing at a rate of 100 rabbits per hour). According to the American Rabbit Breeders Association, rabbits arriving at Cloverdale usually weigh between 4.5 and 6 pounds. At this facility, cervical dislocation is administered to meat rabbits prior to decapitation. However, the American Veterinary Medical Association reports that cervical dislocation is humane for rabbits weighing no more than 2.2 pounds. Therefore, Cloverdale is not using a viable stunning method.


Investigative Findings at Cloverdale

In 2006, East Bay Animal Advocates (EBAA) documented conditions at Cloverdale Rabbit Company. EBAA documented a series of animal welfare concerns (caged confinement; unsanitary living conditions; denial of veterinary care for sick rabbits) at Cloverdale:

Visit One
Under metal overhangs, the rabbits were housed in two doubled-side rows of wire holding cages. The stocking densities ranged from six to eleven rabbits per cage. Each cage was no wider than 1.5 feet. The vast majority of the cages had a high number of rabbits enclosed. As the stocking density increased, the rabbits had greater difficulty moving around. There was a strong ammonia odor from the rabbits’ urine and an accumulation of fecal waste below the cages. The bottoms of the cages were layered with cobwebs and rabbit hair. Rabbits in the cages were observed sneezing. The wiring of the cages was corroded. Some of the cages were poorly rigged—denying rabbits stable, level footing.

Visit Two
Located next to the holding enclosures, rabbits were left in the property truck's multi-tiered cages overnight exposed to rain. Nearly half of the cages on the live-haul truck were full. The rabbits were without food or water. The rabbits on the higher levels of the truck cages were defecating and urinating on the rabbits caged below. The rabbits on the truck could not moving around or lie comfortably. There were several loose rabbits circling the truck as well. In the nearby holding cages, high stocking densities of dirty holding cages were observed along with a pungent ammonia odor. A vast majority of the rabbits’ pelts were stained by urine and cage rust.

Visit Three
There were approximately ten rabbits housed in the entire holding cages area. The rabbits were held in several cages. Some of the rabbits were sneezing. One of the rabbits had several wounds on its ears and a blood-stained pelt. Another rabbit’s rear was caked with feces.

Visit Four
The condition of the holding cage area was identical to Visit One and Two. One rabbit had large abscesses on one of its hind legs and middle of its back. The rabbit could not use its back leg to move around.


Post Investigation

On April 11, 2006, EBAA submitted a formal animal cruelty complaint with the San Benito County authorities for further investigation of Cloverdale. Now, Hollister Animal Services monitor Cloverdale practices on a regular basis.