Animal cruelty happening not only in overseas slaughterhouses but also in Tasmania abattoir

In recent years, Australia suspended live animal exports in some countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam and Israel because of video reports of inhumane way that cattle, sheep and other animals are slaughtered. However, it seems an abattoir in Tasmania is also accused of severe cruelty to animals about to be slaughtered, based on a 30-minute video, according to the Royal Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA).

The RSPCA says the Gretna Quality Meats abattoir in Derwent Valley, north of Hobart, do not have sufficient restraint during stunning, causing unnecessary suffering to the animal. There are also several instances of ineffective stunning, repeated stunning and inappropriate use of a captive bolt device. Other observations based on the video include poorly designed ramps and pens, and abusive behaviour from a worker.

Bidda Jones, chief science and strategy officer of RSPCA, describes the video as sickening to watch. “That is a problem that should not occur and certainly should not occur even once or twice, but this was multiple animals are being ineffectively stunned,” she said.

But the abattoir operator insists the animals in the video, taken in September 2016, were unconscious and their movement was a result of nerves. Jones pushed for the shuttering of the slaughterhouse until Tasmania’s Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment investigates the place, ABC reports. “Given the seriousness of the failings documented, it is our view that no further animals should be permitted to enter this facility until and unless all of the issues identified above have been fully addressed,” the RSPCA says in a statement.

But the owner of Gretnna rejected the RSPCA call for closure of the facility. It confirmed plans of slaughtering animals on Monday afternoon. Michael Munnings, proprietor of the abattoir, defended the facilities’ practices and insists everything done on the video followed the code.

“In a perfect world every animal would go down with the first shot, but unfortunately that doesn’t always happen,” Mercury quotes Munnings. Animal Liberation got the video from an anonymous sources and aired the clip on ABC TV.