Op-Ed: Four slaughter men have been suspended from work after a spy camera caught their monstrous behaviour on film. But suspending their licenses to kill must surely only be an initial step with criminal charges to follow? Tuesday graphic images and footage of animal cruelty and abuse at the hands of these men is circulating online and in the mainstream media; animal rights group Animal Aid recorded the footage in December. Images of sheep being punched, kicked and brutally abused before slaughter, sometimes involving hacking to death with rough blades, are sickening. The men worked at a Halal slaughter house. That means the meat was killed in a certain way to adhere to Muslim guidelines. Their abuse of animals though breaks that religion's rules. The slaughter of a halal animal is called "zabihah" and there are certain guidelines to follow: The slaughter of 4,000 sheep was caught on camera at the busy Bowood Lamb abattoir in Thirsk in North Yorkshire.
British law requires abattoirs to stun animals before slaughter to prevent unnecessary suffering but there are exemptions for Jewish and Muslim producers. The Animals should not see the knife or others dying but at this place of death these four men brandished the knife to the animals, laughed at them as they stood on conscious animals and watched others bleed to death. This shocking story is one in a long line of abuse of animals. There is now a push to make sure all such places are monitored by installing CCTV. Kate Fowler, head of campaigns at Animal Aid, told the Express that the scenes from the Halal slaughterhouse were "inexcusable". "A petition aimed at triggering a parliamentary debate on the issue has already collected more than 80,000 of the 100,000 signatures needed. It has received the backing of celebrities including comedian Ricky Gervais, actress Sadie Frost, and Queen guitarist Brian May." The Food Standards Agency (FSA)are investigating but have said prosecution could follow. Could follow? Surely it must? How we treat our animals is often a sign of what we are like as a person. These men have shown they are anything but decent citizens. Choice: If you were given a choice would you opt to buy Halal meat? That question was up for debate in May 2014 in the UK when it was revealed that in many cases meat is Halal and the consumer is not aware of that fact.
4 Comments
Red Alert: In Britain dogs are being stolen from gardens and residential properties and getting them back is difficult and sometimes impossible. Some dogs are stolen for illegal dog fights others for heaven knows what. The advice has to be know where you beloved pooch is at all times and make sure your garden is a safe area in every sense. But this story is about one dog in particular and one family. Helpers have taken to Twitter to try to reunite Siberian Husky dog Murphy with his owners. As you can see from the image there is a reward if you can supply information which leads to the rescue of Murphy. Monday the Telegraph and Argus reported that dog owners had gathered Sunday to publicise this missing dog and show support to its owner. Mr Smith said: "Murphy is a rescue dog who is four-years-old and I have had him for two years but am his ninth owner. People just don't understand the husky breed. "It has been five long weeks since he was stolen. We cannot concentrate on anything and it is putting a strain on the family. "I am not eating or sleeping," he said. As a dog owner, of rescue dogs, I can imagine Mr Smith's worry. Rescue dogs take time to settle into homes and finding their 'forever home' is vital. Having found a loving home Murphy will now be back in a transient state. But above all is Murphy well? If Andy could at least know that Murphy is safe and well it would be something but really the pair need reuniting and soon. Tweeters have launched a campaign to help find Murphy and we are more than happy to write this report in the hope it may also help. But it will be a happier day when we can report Murphy is back home safe and sound with the Smiths. Can you help find Murphy? Additional information: Mainly White Male Siberian Husky (Age: Adult)Missing from Scholemoor Cemetery, Bradford, BD7 2PS. Murphy got off his lead at 6:30, BD7 area, (North East) on Thursday, 4th December 2014 CONTACT: 07759851895 or 07770903353 Print this poster from http://www.doglost.co.uk/poster.php?dogId=79309 0844 800 3220 Doglost is a FREE SERVICE run by volunteers www.doglost.co.uk
Warning *contains graphic images and footage* Having received an email from a friend that had content which made my blood run cold as it also made me seethe, I wrote the following piece and posted it on Hubpages. There it remained although flagged for some time as my work was copied online. The story is as pertinent as ever although originally written in 2009 and so the report has been removed and posted here. The disturbing pictures told the tale in a way that words could never have expressed. However there was an explanation of what was going on, an attached petition to sign in the hope that this practice may finally be stopped and the outraged sentiments, of each person that had received this email who also found it hard to believe that this was the Faroe Islands in the 21st Century. It would seem that this footage has been doing the rounds but I offer no apologies if you have already seen it. As we wrote back then ACTION IS NEEDED AND IS NEEDED NOW Op-Ed: A blaze at a Manchester Dogs' Home in Moss Brook Road in Harpurhey on Thursday evening has claimed the lives of more than 60 dogs. Although around 150 dogs were rescued the death toll is expected to rise. Police have arrested a 15-year-old boy on suspicion of arson. A JustGiving online account which was quickly set up by the Manchester Evening News has received numerous donations. Obviously more money will be needed though to help the animals and staff plus rebuild the shelter. Interim care for the animals that survived plus veterinary bills will be a priority. For now the dogs that survived are being housed at Cheshire Dogs' Home, a sister site. As news of the fire spread people began quickly donating, tweeting and offering help. Throughout the night and early hours of the morning people were turning up at the scene of the blaze asking what they could do to help. Local people were obviously very upset with events. Some people brought blankets and other items. Whatever the reason for the arson attack, assuming there was even a misguided or insane one, a huge amount of suffering followed. Firefighters did their very best to control the fire and help rescue trapped dogs. They once again proved what an invaluable service they provide. If the 15-year-old boy is charged with arson he will likely not be named nor face a tough sentence due to his age. BBC News reports: A statement posted on Manchester and Cheshire Dogs' Home's Facebook page said: "The staff and volunteers at Manchester & Cheshire Dogs Home worked tirelessly through the evening to get as many dogs as possible to safety. MANCHESTER & CHESHIRE DOGS HOMES- It was established in 1893 to help the stray and unwanted dogs roaming the streets of Manchester. Later covering parts of Lancashire, Cheshire and Derbyshire, today it remains the only Home of its kind, caring for over 7000 dogs each year. Over 95% of dogs are Homed or re-Homed.
The Just Giving donation page is now closed. The page was set up Thursday but at time of writing donations stood at £535,942.77 raised of a £5,000.00 target from 54,431 donations. At least that makes me proud to be British. Kudos. If the torture and abuse that animals face in some laboratories sickens you how can you react to help bring about change? If it does not sicken you what is wrong with you? There are always ways that you can make a difference to the welfare of animals sometimes by simply making sure a story is read universally. Other times joining a boycott, protest march or signing a petition can be very effective. In the case of monkeys being shipped to laboratories by Air France boycotting the company and letting them know why could be all it takes for them to make a positive change. The graphic images speak a thousand words of pain and suffering. The PETA2 blog also carries some facts and figures interspersed with images which make your heart sink: Every year, more than 10,000 monkeys are shipped to laboratories in the United States.
Follow the PETA2 link for the full blog and shocking images. Sources Phone Air France to Protest Against Shipping Monkeys to Labs We Animals PETA2 |
This site can now be found at NEWTEKJournalismUK
|