Eyes on Animals is back in Turkey, continuing our work there to decrease some of the horrible animal suffering taking place in the slaughterhouses. Part of our project there is not just to make the floors less slippery and make drinking water available in the lairages, but also to teach the benefit of rendering the animals unconscious first before hoisting them up by one leg and cutting their throat. We are teaching the use and maintenance of captive bolt pistols and then leasing them out to the veterinarians of the slaughterhouse.
Yesterday the chief veterinarian from an abattoir in eastern Turkey signed the lease contract. At the plant where he works they want to use it at least on animals arriving injured, so that they don’t have to suffer so long or be dragged while still conscious to the slaughter area. Slowly more and more Turkish Imams, veterinarians and consumers are accepting that animals be stunned during slaughter. Some are even promoting this more humane method of slaughtering animals as a necessity to be considered truly Halal. After all, the essence of Islam is to reduce suffering and make the more ethical choices.
