Asalet was so concentrated he did not even hear me. Leyla was emaciated, one of her legs was broken, and the look in her eyes was of terrible pain and fear.
I felt I was going to throw up. One of the slaughterhouse employees
grabbed his long knife and starting cutting into her throat.
In
Turkey injured animals like Leyla are not euthanized on their farm of
origin. They end up being dragged onto trucks and brought to the
slaughterhouses. In fact, euthanasia is rarely performed in Turkey. Not
even for pet animals like cats and dogs. It is God’s decision when an
animal or person will die. Slaughter however is different. If the animal
will be eaten, then the animal can be slaughtered for meat. I didn’t
understand this logic - if God existed surely He/She would not want any
of his creatures to suffer like this.
I cannot get the images of Leyla and other animals I have seen slaughtered in Turkey out of my mind. Also their sounds. For three weeks I could not sleep after my first visit to a slaughterhouse there.
But
it is not something we can change overnight. The fact that all animals
are sentient and have a strong desire to live and enjoy life is not
something everyone is born knowing. It is something that has to be
taught.
What
is the solution? Not to look away, despite the images being so hard to
absorb, but for Eyes on Animals to do something about it.
In
2014 we held our first ever two-day training course for large animal
veterinarians and slaughterhouse personnel on how to reduce suffering
during slaughter in Istanbul. In 2015 we held another training course,
this time in Ankara. We were present at Meat and Halal fairs, to
distribute information about animal welfare. And in 2016 and still today
we are in contact with supermarket chains in Turkey about this topic.
Our aim? That supermarkets will develop and abide by criteria for the
slaughterhouses from where they buy their meat. Only this way can
we phase out the transport of injured animals, put euthanasia and even
pre-stunning into place, and clean up all the other problems inside the
slaughterhouses.
It
is a long-term project, which requires time to teach people, time to
convince them to change, and time for them to find the finances and
will-power to make the changes. Already several slaughterhouses have
made concrete improvements, but I expect it to take another 15 years
before we can say that major changes have been made in Turkey. But if we
don’t start now on this long journey, then the animals will continue
suffering for even longer. Real change comes with education and changing
the mentality of the producer and consumer.
Please,
won’t you consider donating to Eyes on Animals so that we can remain
active in Turkey to oversee that slaughterhouses drastically improve and
suffering is reduced?
Please
indicate “Turkey” when making a donation to Eyes on Animals, and we
will see that your money goes directly into our efforts there.
