At the end of May EonA visited Vit’s beef Twente slaughterhouse in Oldenzaal. Although we were welcomed and had an open conversation with the manager, he wanted time to consider whether he was happy to give us a tour of the slaughterhouse.
We contacted the manager again in August. He said that he had spoken to his colleagues who decided they were not prepared to give us a tour of their facilities. Their reason for denying us access was that it was thought that a visit from Eyes on Animals would have no added value for them, because amongst other things, animal welfare is of paramount importance and that they have everything well organized and therefore have nothing to hide.
Eyes on Animals always finds it disappointing when we are refused for this reason. If a slaughterhouse has something to hide, we can understand the refusal, but if that is not the case, then it is a shame, because an inspection by us, providing a fresh perspective, is apparently not wanted. Also the fact that we suggested we could learn something from them and take their expertise to other slaughterhouses in the Netherlands and elsewhere was also not of interest to them.
It is regrettable that Vit’s Beef Twente refused EoA access to their slaughterhouse without prior discussion between both parties. This decision, in our opinion is a missed opportunity for Vits to gain valuable advice on how the welfare of the animals held at their facilities could be improved upon.
