slaughterhouses

Today the EonA/AWF team met with the director of a Turkish slaughterhouse who was open enough to let us view the unloading and slaughter of cattle in his plant. He was curious of our opinion and open to cooperation. This plant received many cattle trucked in from the EU. He told us that some were arriving so dehydrated that their lungs were stuck to the chest … [Read more...] about Visit of another Turkish slaughterhouse

The EonA/AWF team met with the government veterinarian and private slaughterhouse veterinarian from this plant earlier in the week. We introduced both organizations and explained our hope to visit their slaughterhouse and discuss any points we think they could improve on to increase animal-welfare. Today we were told via telephone that the boss refuses to show us inside … [Read more...] about Unsuccessful attempt to visit Narmanlar slaughterhouse in Esenyurt. Turkey

This afternoon we are invited to visit another Turkish slaughterhouse where many of the EU sheep and cattle were being slaughtered in since 2010. It is a large slaughterhouse. Conditions are alarming. The floor of the raceway is very slippery. There is a 90 degree angle that the cattle have to take to enter the kill box, resulting in them balking and even trying to … [Read more...] about Inspection of another cattle slaughterhouse in Turkey

Today the EonA/AWF team observed the slaughter of cattle in a slaughterhouse in Turkey, known to be the final destination for many EU cattle. Today cattle originally from Australia and the Ukraine were being killed. As with all cattle slaughterhouses in Turkey, the animals are not rendered unconscious first. In fact, here they are put into boxes with a slanted floor … [Read more...] about Inspection of cattle slaughter in a Turkish plant

The EonA/AWF team asks for permission to visit Apikoglu slaughterhouse in Tepeoren (Turkey) but we are refused. They do not want us to observe the slaughter process or comment on the equipment and installations they use. We are very disappointed by this non-transparent attitude as we were hoping that via cooperation improvements to animal welfare could be … [Read more...] about Unsuccessful attempt to visit Apikoglu slaughterhouse in Tepeoren Turkey

This week the team from EonA/AWF is in Turkey to check on conditions for animals at Turkish slaughterhouse. We have planned to ask for permission to visit as many Turkish slaughterhouses as possible where many EU cattle and sheep end up, after their long journeys from Hungary, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Poland and Estonia. We know that the transport conditions from the … [Read more...] about Inspection of a Turkish slaughterhouse where many EU animals are slaughtered

    Today we were invited to return to Compaxo pig slaughterhouse in Zevenaar to view some of the welfare-improvements they had put into place since our last visit over 2 years ago when we made various recommendations. Compaxo has now installed extra lighting at the end of the stunning chute, as pigs move better from dark to light, and thus would require … [Read more...] about Visit to Compaxo pig slaughterhouse in Zevenaar (NL)

Today a team from Eyes on Animals visited the Vion pig slaughterhouse in Groenlo, that slaughters pigs, sows and breeding boars raised on conventional farms, but also those raised under organic and free-range conditions from the label "Groene Weg". We viewed the unloading of the pigs, the lairaging, the suspect pens, the handling and moving, and finally the stunning and … [Read more...] about Visit of Vion pig slaughterhouse in Groenlo, NL

Today we visited Westfort pig slaughterhouse. We were there for several reasons, one of which is because they want us to help promote a new label that aims to better respect the welfare of pigs and the environment. This is an on-going discussion which we will report on at a later date once we know more. But we want to report on some improvements inside their … [Read more...] about Visit to Westfort pig slaughterhouse, NL

   Eyes on Animals inspectors paid a visit to Euro Meat Group, a slaughterhouse that slaughters horses and cattle, on account of a transport inspection. Earlier this year, an unfit dairy cow that could not stand or walk without pain (a so-called downer) was transported to a slaughterhouse, despite the fact that this is forbidden by law and causes pain. Eyes on … [Read more...] about Visit to slaughterhouse Euro Meat Group in Belgium