Mt. Hope Auction Stopped for Now From Causing Suffering and Death

PETA once called Mount Hope, Ohio, the worst town in the U.S. for animals. That’s because it was home to the notoriously cruel Mt. Hope Auction’s Mid-Ohio Alternative Animal and Bird Sale, where scofflaw sellers passed off sick, injured, and neglected animals to the highest bidder. Now, the Mt. Hope Auction is currently without a federal license, thanks in no small part to PETA’s reports to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  

Keep reading to find out where the Mt. Hope Auction stands now and how we got here.

Citing damning evidence gathered by PETA, two government agencies challenged Mt. Hope’s exotic-animal auction in federal lawsuits.

PETA documented or received documentation of numerous instances of cruelty, neglect, and suffering at the Mt. Horror hellhole for two years.In August 2022, we requested a USDA inspection into the auction after a concerned attendee saw a rabbit with an apparent ear mite infestation in need of veterinary attention; animals confined to cramped cages; animals without any access to water; visibly distressed animals on the auction block; intensely crowded conditions that can cause stress and immunosuppression; and more.

The USDA has conducted 11 inspections of the Mt. Hope Auction, each of which has resulted in multiple citations.

In less than two years, USDA inspectors have cited the Mt. Hope Auction for 69 alleged violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

Just some of the violations included denying veterinary care to sick and emaciated animals, including failing to notice a ram who had been left for dead; failing to handle animals safely; and more.

At the September and November 2023 Mid-Ohio Alternative Animal and Bird and Animal Sale, USDA officials saw underweight sheep with diarrhea caked on their hindquarters, an underweight alpaca who was lethargic and unresponsive, numerous birds with severe feather loss, and more.

Read more about what PETA Foundation staff found at the September 2023 Mt. Hope Auction here.

Meanwhile, PETA kept the pressure on federal officials and sponsors to take action.

PETA continued to alert the USDA to Mt. Hope’s extremely cruel conditions for animals. In September 2024, the USDA and the Department of Justice filed federal lawsuits against the auction, citing evidence from PETA.

Department of Justice officials said the following:

• “The company’s ‘business as usual’ approach—risking injury, illness, and harm to the animals at its auctions—will not continue.” – Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
• “Their complete disregard for the laws regarding animal welfare and treatment placed both these animals and the public at large in danger.” – Rebecca Lutzko, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio
• “Other violations reported in court documents include Asian antelopes and cattle that were so emaciated that their ribs, scapula, pelvic bones, and individual vertebrae were visible…”

These cases have now been settled, barring Mt. Hope Auction from holding exotic-animal auctions for now.

So, what does this mean for the future of Mt. Hope Auction?

If the Mt. Hope Auction applies for a new license within the next three years, it will be placed on two-year probation. If it receives repeat citations for certain Animal Welfare Act violations, its license will be permanently revoked. Preventing Mt. Hope Auction from operating its seedy animal-selling scheme deals a big blow to callous roadside zoos and the cruel exotic pet trade.

What YOU Can Do

Mt. Hope Auction’s vile operation is on hold for now, but you can still take action to end other auctions.

Our fellow animals have feelings, relationships, and unique personalities—they do not want to be bought and sold like merchandise at auctions, put on display at crummy roadside zoos, or exploited in any other way. Never attend exotic animal auctions, visit roadside zoos, or support the pet trade.