Farmwatch: Slaughterhouse only the tip of the iceberg

Farmwatch is pleased to hear that the slaughterhouse featured in last year’s explosive bobby calf exposé has shut down. Using hidden cameras Farmwatch uncovered shocking abuse of calves, leading to animal abuse charges being laid against a worker as well as the owner of the slaughterhouse. Yesterday it was reported that the slaughterhouse has shut down after MPI required the company to adhere to minimum standards.

Farmwatch spokesperson John Darroch says: “This is a major success for Farmwatch, and highlights the crucial role we play exposing the ill-treatment of farm animals in New Zealand. However I believe that Down Cow has been used as a scapegoat by both MPI and the dairy industry to distract the public from the systemic cruelty throughout the entire industry.

In our investigation we saw widespread cruelty and extreme deprivation at all stages of calves’ lives. Bobby calves were abused on dairy farms, during transport, and at slaughter. In response to our footage, new regulations were promised to protect bobby calves. However the new regulations allow days-old baby calves to be deprived of food for 24 hours, transported in the backs of trucks for 12 hours, and slaughtered at 4 days old (compared to 10 days old in Europe). These regulations developed by MPI and approved by the dairy industry show that the suffering revealed in our investigation has not been taken seriously, and that animal welfare is absolutely not a priority. The public cannot be reassured that the closure of one slaughterhouse has even begun to address the brutality we exposed last year.

Down Cow Ltd owner Alan Cleaver said that his firm took the calves that no one else wanted, and that their procedures were common among the country's farmers and slaughterhouses, with other firms doing exactly the same. I have personally spoken to many farmers about Down Cow, who have been aware of the issues at the slaughterhouse for years. The downfall of this slaughterhouse does not solve the problem of animal abuse in dairy, but only reveals how big of a problem it really is."

Raw footage from the slaughterhouse can be seen here: https://vimeo.com/147207896/a039557664

Video showing investigators's first visit to the slaughterhouse: https://vimeo.com/171467454
Article confirming the slaughterhouse has shut: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/81250908/company-involved-in-bobby-calf-scandal-closes-down.html

ends

© Scoop Media