Eyes on Animals attended the final PigStun conference in Brussels. PigStun is an EU-funded project led by scientists to explore alternative stunning methods to high-concentration CO2 gas for rendering pigs unconscious before slaughter in high-throughput facilities. This study is important because CO2 gas is painful for pigs; it’s highly acidic, causing irritation to the … [Read more...] about EonA at the final PigStun Project conference, Brussels
animal welfare improvements
NVWA to start enforcing rules on poultry trapped on their backs
Following enforcement requests by Animal Rights, the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) will finally take stronger action against a long-standing animal welfare issue: birds ending up on their backs in transport crates or containers. This often occurs when poultry is handled roughly during loading and tossed into crates or containers at high speed and … [Read more...] about NVWA to start enforcing rules on poultry trapped on their backs
Visit to Leeuwarden livestock market: improvements visible, some concerns remain
On 19 March, we paid an unannounced visit to the cattle market in Leeuwarden. The market management immediately made time to show us around. The market appeared well organised: all cattle were housed in groups (except for the bulls), there was plenty of clean straw, the air was fresh, and water was available in every pen. Compared to a few years ago, the condition of … [Read more...] about Visit to Leeuwarden livestock market: improvements visible, some concerns remain
Visit to the calf market in Leeuwarden: concerns about extended periods without milk
On 18 March, we paid an unannounced visit to the calf market in Leeuwarden. We were immediately welcomed and, as always, given the opportunity to observe the calves. The market appeared well organised: calves were housed in groups, there was plenty of clean straw, and the handling of the animals was calm. We also observed good practices, such as drivers placing straw on … [Read more...] about Visit to the calf market in Leeuwarden: concerns about extended periods without milk
Illustration of electric stunning at a halal sheep abattoir near Tekirdag, Turkey
Together with humane-slaughter specialists from Bristol university, Eyes on Animals re-visited this cattle and sheep slaughterhouse that EonA knows very well. Years ago we taught the use of captive bolt stunners on cattle. We were very pleased to see that the captive bolt stunner we gave them 4 years ago is still in use and gave them some more boxes of cartridges. Since … [Read more...] about Illustration of electric stunning at a halal sheep abattoir near Tekirdag, Turkey
Visit to Mulder sheep and goat slaughterhouse in Twello (NL)
Today, we paid a scheduled visit to the Mulder slaughterhouse in Twello. With input from Eyes on Animals, Mulder has implemented various improvements to create a calmer, more controlled handling and stunning process, reducing stress for the animals and minimizing errors. During our visit we watched camera surveillance footage from previous days and walked through the … [Read more...] about Visit to Mulder sheep and goat slaughterhouse in Twello (NL)
Visit to VION cattle and pig slaughterhouse in Crailsheim, Germany
Today, Eyes on Animals visited a large pig and cattle slaughterhouse of VION in Crailsheim, Germany. Despite arriving without an appointment, the manager immediately made time for us. This allowed us to dive into key topics, including public concerns about CO₂ stunning for pigs and our work on a less stressful alternative: an optimized automatic electrical stunning system. … [Read more...] about Visit to VION cattle and pig slaughterhouse in Crailsheim, Germany
Good News from Ghana: Major Improvements at Cape Coast Slaughter Slab
Over the past five years, Eyes on Animals and WACPAW have worked together to reduce animal suffering at the Cape Coast cattle slaughter slab in Ghana. Initially, cattle endured severe stress and suffering due to harsh handling practices, including being forcibly tripped, tightly tethered, and slaughtered without stunning.Thanks to ongoing training by WACPAW and EonA and … [Read more...] about Good News from Ghana: Major Improvements at Cape Coast Slaughter Slab
Unannounced visit to piglet slaughterhouse Beck in Kupferzell, Germany
Today, Eyes on Animals conducted an unannounced visit to a large slaughterhouse in Germany specializing in piglets. This facility often processes piglets with minor abnormalities, such as navel hernias, swollen joints, or bitten tails. These conditions can impair growth, potentially worsen, or require medical treatment, making early slaughter the most cost-effective … [Read more...] about Unannounced visit to piglet slaughterhouse Beck in Kupferzell, Germany
EonA at World Halal Summit in Istanbul
Asalet is at the World Halal Summit in Istanbul networking with people (Halal food.companies, Halal certifying organizations etc...) and telling them how crucial it is that the halal food business takes farm-animal welfare during slaughter into much more serious consideration. He is also using this opportunity to explain what we do, what we have seen, and how electric and … [Read more...] about EonA at World Halal Summit in Istanbul
