Abattoir in video nasty (From This is The West Country)
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Abattoir in video nasty
7:20am Thursday 10th September 2009 in Somerset
A CREECH St Michael abattoir has admitted the standard of animal welfare filmed there by animal rights campaigners was “not satisfactory”.
A spokesman agreed that a slaughter man failed to stun a number of animals correctly with electric tongs before they were killed.
Bosses at AC Hopkins say they have removed the employee responsible from handling live animals.
But they deny the validity of some of the claims of inhumane practices levelled at the firm by Animal Aid, which filmed undercover in April.
Among incidents the charity recorded were:
*a ewe stunned as it suckled its lamb;
*a pig screaming on the floor after inadequate stunning;
*a number of animals not stunned sufficiently and simply receiving painful electric shocks;
*‘DEATH ROW’ daubed in red on a wall of the slaughterhouse, although there is no evidence who wrote it;
*animals slaughtered in front of other animals;
*animals apparently trying to escape from the slaughterer; *the slaughter man standing on a stunned pig.
The slaughtherhouse has accepted that some animals had been inadequately stunned and the operator had been suspended from dealing with live animals.
But they rejected any allegations that any of the other practices were unlawful or cruel.
Animal Aid director Andrew Tyler claimed the animals often suffered and experienced terror, while the stun operator appeared indifferent.
Mr Tyler added: “There is supposed to be a certification monitoring system in place at all times, so why wasn’t this picked up?
“Whenever problems of this sort are detected, the tendency is to point the finger and try to dispose of the problem by disposing of the person involved.
“The film clearly shows stressed, frightened animals and evidence of suffering – it isn’t humane, but it’s the reality of slaughter in Britain today.”
Stephen Lomax, representing Hopkins, of the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers, said Animal Aid by its very nature was hostile to the livestock industry.
He added: “The standard of animal welfare recorded at AC Hopkins by Animal Aid was not satisfactory.
“The employee in question had worked for the company for three months at the time, having worked for many years in a large abattoir which is now closed.
“The employee in question has been immediately removed from working with live animals despite the fact that he has a certificate of animal welfare training from his previous employer.
“A Meat Hygiene Service veterinary surgeon supervises all operations at all times when the plant is operating and AC Hopkins are surprised that the official veterinary apparently didn’t identify that standards of stunning were unsatisfactory.”
*See the full story in Today's Somerset County Gazette and let us know your views by leaving your comments below.
Comments(12)
Jessmeale
says...
9:03am Thu 10 Sep 09
Jesus_02
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1:01pm Thu 10 Sep 09
Jessmeale wrote:Let me make it clear, the way that this abatior is treating animals is unacceptable
I'm a vegetarian but I have accepted that we will always be a meat eating nation. However, it disgusts me that these places are still allowed to work in such an inhumane way. Can you really tell me that animals don't have feelings? On top of this, I know many meat eaters who would not eat an animal they have had to kill themselves. I'm sorry to say it but I think this is so hypocritical. These slaughter houses really need to buck up their working ways. I'd like to see the fear in the eyes of these people if I came at them with a stun gun.
However, Hypocrasy of meat eaters not killing aminals themselves?
Would animals be stunned, if people killed there own meat?
Boris23
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9:07am Fri 11 Sep 09
Bonji
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10:52am Fri 11 Sep 09
PabloS
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2:50pm Fri 11 Sep 09
WalterBean
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10:45pm Fri 11 Sep 09
Kay No.5
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6:13pm Sat 12 Sep 09
The fact is, all animals - regardless of whether we understand their intelligence or not - have strong instincts that enable them to assess the dangers around them, and they are more than capable of hearing the terrified screams of others being slaughtered before them. This, together with the stench of the blood-stained chamber they find themselves in, sends them into a frenzy, running in circles to escape the predator. (This is what happens in the wild.)
What I find particularly sad is the tiny lambs suckling their mothers for comfort. The ewes suffer immensely because of the instinctive need to protect their young and to escape with their own lives.
There is absolutely no way slaughterhouses can exist without pain and suffering to the animals reared for food.
Domini John
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9:30pm Sun 13 Sep 09
I am so glad and grateful that organisations like Animal Aid are out there keeping the public informed about illegal and inhumane practices such as was written about in the County Gazette on September 10.
The practice of stunning an animal inadequately is abhorrant and any employee who has lost their humanity, compassion and integrity should no longer be allowed to work in the industry. The operator involved in the case at Creech St Michael should have been sacked and never allowed to work in the industry again, not just taken away from working with live animals. Who is to say that he isn't back at his 'old role' already.
It makes me really angry too that Stephen Lomax, technical and legal adviser to the Independent Meat Suppliers, has the audacity to actually say and I quote "animals do not have sufficient intelligence or imagination to be distressed by seeing other animals killed". What an idiot. I became a vegetarian at 16 (I am now in my fifties) because I lived near an abattoir as a child and I can vividly remember the stress and noises of these animals. I would like to tell him that animals do smell fear and they do know what is happening. Even if they didn't they deserve care and respect in their last hours. He goes on to say later in the article that "Animal Aid gained clandestine entry to the abattoir and left its camera running to make a film to put people off eating meat". They had every right in videoing evidence to show the relevant authorities and the public the cruelty that is being metered out - what on earth is wrong with that. I hope they carry on doing their good work. Stephen Lomax says these things because he would be out of a job if less animals were slaughtered for their meat.
I totally agree with what Animal Aid are calling for and they get my full support - it amazes me that it isn't already in place. I would totally agree that all workers should be assessed regularly as to their psychological fitness for the job. The fact that someone has painted DEATH ROW in red paint shows the moronic disregard that some employees have towards the animals in their care.
HenryK
says...
1:10pm Mon 14 Sep 09
Hi, my name is Kevin, and I only moved to Taunton recently.
Over the past 15 years (since leaving school) I have spent about 8 years working in abatoirs.
I so wish I could sit here and either defend the standards, or argue that this type of behavior is a 'one-off' - but to be honest there is nothing written, or shown, that I didn't see on an all too frequent basis.
If the readers of the article want to lambast this particular plant, then so be it - but I defy you to show me a slaughter house that treats it's 'customers' any differently - if we are to remain a nation of meat eaters we must get real about what we do to the animals we eat.
I decided to try a different 'career' - 15 years of watching such abuse is difficult - the sadest thing is that you become 'hardened' to it.
It was not the fact that it upset me that made me leave - it was the fact that it started to no longer upset me.
Kay No.5
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2:59pm Mon 14 Sep 09
ns3924
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5:30pm Thu 17 Sep 09
1700 hrs Thurs 17th Sept
The behaviour of the slaughterer and the whole system of animal management at abattoirs in general is totally disgusting and abhorrant.
1. The slaughterer in question should have been sacked not moved to another dept where he is not in contact with live anaimals, for clearly he has no respect or compassion for animals either alive or dead.
2. I was certainly not aware it was normal practice to slaughter ewes whilst suckling their young. Surely if the ewe in question had given birth on route to this place, she and her young should have been taken out of the food chain not, as I presume slaughtered.
3. Not sure whether Stephen Lomax is playing dumb. Anyone with a brain and a little education knows that animals smell fear and blood and feel pain, for how do they survive in the wild otherwise? Just because these poor unfortunate animals have been domesticated doesn't mean they have lost their animal instincts.
This abattoir I am sure is just one sorry example of the behaviour of employees throughout the industry regarding the treatment of
animals, and as such should be STOPPED!!!!!
I am sure a lot of people out there (inluding myself) were shocked by this article which only goes to prove that until such places are brought in to the public eye on a regular basis such conditions and treatment will continue and the only way to change this is to lobby parliament and that is why agencies such as Animal Aid are desperately needed to fight for these animals. For if they don't, who will?
They did a fantastic job and long may they continue doing such good work.
Animal Aid did an important job and long may they keep it up
Jessmeale says...
9:03am Thu 10 Sep 09