SARP Takes Campaign on Humane Slaughter of Animals to Abattoir
The Society for Animal Rights Protection, SARP, has held a capacity building workshop on humane slaughter of animals to slaughters operating at the Amosun Central Abattoir, Akinyele Local Government, Ibadan Oyo State.
The workshop, which centered on humane practices of handling animals and livestock, sensitized the crowd of slaughters on the rights of animals even at point of death citing references from the biblical and islamic injuctions.
Speaking on the topic: Food Animals as Sentient Beings, President, Society for Animal Rights Protection,SARP, Dr. Ibikunle Faramade, explained that animals exhibit five senses like human, canvassed freedom of animal welfare including provision of food and water to main full vigor, elimination of discomfort as well as rapid diagnosis and treatment.
He counselled the slaughters to avoid conditions that could subject the animals to fear and distress which is capable of causing mental suffering.
“Humane slaughter seeks to kill animals in such a way that they will not suffer prolong pain(between the onset of slaughter and eventual death).
Before slaughter, animals should be carefully transported from farms or livestock market to the abattoir. We need to improve in this area.”
“Sticking (cutting of the neck is the most popular practice in Nigeria). We can reduce the suffering of animals during slaughter by ensuring that; Our knives are very sharp,the animal is allowed to loose all forms of sensations before singeing (burning) Ensure no more motion before processing”
On his part, Dr. Ibrahim Akande, the Managing Director, Milky Way Projects and Resources Limited, who spoke on “Islamic Injuctions Regarding Slaughter of food Animals” said Islam prohibited harming, disabling, injuring, or cutting out the organs from any animal.
Dr. Akande, who quoted relevant portions of the holy Qur’an guided the slaughters through the rules for halal slaughtering in islam.
In Islam, animals meant for human consumption must be slaughtered under strict humane manners. That is only when it is considered HALAAL – permissible or wholesome for Muslims.
1. Preslaughter rest, well fed and watered
2. Must be alive or deemed to be alive at the point of slaughter
3. It should be securely restrained, especially, the head, legs and neck before cutting the throat.
4. Tools and other implements must be for slaughter of halal animals only.
5. Knife must be razor sharp, without any damage or serrated.
6. Killing must be accomplished once – not cutting halfway, go to sharpen the knife and then cut again.
7. Life must depart instantly. It must not be left to struggle or suffer.
8. The animal’s trachea and oesophagus must be severed promptly! The spinal cord and the head be completely severed to prevent immediate and massive bleeding!”
He admonished them to carry out preslaughter assessment and desist from any form of animal stunning, cruelty transportation as well as the use of unsharpened knife to slaughter animals
Also in a presentation on the topic: Christian Code for Slaughter of Food Animals, Rev’d Dr. Julius Adigun, Stressed that both human and animals were made from dust hence the practice of burying both whenever they died.
Highlighting the words like the good shepherd, pastor as testament of God’s interest in animal care, Rev’d Dr. Adigun, pointed out that good disposition to animals is a service to God noting that slaughtery is a professional trade which is divine and blessed by God.
Reacting, Chairman, Amosun Central Abattoir, Akinyele , Ibadan Alhaji Nureni Akano, raised concerns on the cost of removing and destroying of infected organs and parts without government compensation parts saying they usually incur losses when such is trashed.
He solicited government support to run the business saying a live cow now costs between 1.3 to 1.7million naira.
We run at loss when veterinarians place embargo on our animals.Government should establish initiatives to secure our losses.We don’t see Tuberculosis in animals at the point of purchase until we kill them, Government Veterinarians have no right on our Cows , they are supposed to do their duties before it’s brought to Ibadan we only buy and slaughter them”
