slaughterhouses

Eyes on Animals inspected Thomassen Slachthuis in Someren, a medium-sized Dutch slaughterhouse which slaughters cattle and pigs. Upon arriving, cattle from Belgium were being unloaded. They were all fit for transport. As in all slaughterhouses we have visited so far, there was again a pen devoted to placing sick animals. Inside was a lone pig, paralyzed from her waist … [Read more...] about Inspection of a Dutch slaughterhouse

Eyes on Animals inspected the small pig slaughterhouse Van Kemenade in Asten, the Netherlands.  The director was open to a discussion about animal welfare and we thank him for this.  However, upon touring the slaughter area we observed a staff member kicking a pig and another serious welfare problem and immediately drew his attention to it.  We will stay in contact with … [Read more...] about Concern at a small pig slaughterhouse in NL

Eyes on Animals inspected a pig slaughterhouse in Gorinchem, the Netherlands. The director is very involved in projects to improve animal welfare. Instead of insisting that all male pigs arriving at his plant be castrated (as almost all plants in Europe, Canada, USA, Australia and China do) he has given farmers the opportunity to no longer castrate their males, by having … [Read more...] about Inspection of a large pig slaughterhouse in NL

Today Eyes on Animals met with the director of the Westfort slaughterhouse in The Netherlands. He is taking effective measures to improve the quality of life of farmed pigs. The Milieukeur label is a labelling scheme for farmers to join that, among other things, do NOT castrate their male pigs and have reduced ammoniac levels in their barns. Ammoniac burns the eyes and … [Read more...] about Meeting with a slaughterhouse director in NL that is trying to improve things

These male piglets will never have to endure the pain of being castrated.   In April 2008 the Dutch group Varkens in Nood threatened to take Dutch supermarkets to court for causing unnecessary suffering by selling pig meat from castrated males. The retailers reacted by agreeing to search alternatives, and now together with a large German slaughterhouse that supplies most … [Read more...] about Inspection of a slaughterhouse and farm stopping with pig castration