Attention, shocking images.Italian animal right's charity Essere Animali published on March 28 a video investigation revealing the brutality of slaughtering lambs across two abattoirs in the country.Thanks to hidden cameras, the association was able to film the slaughterhouse workers brutally unloading and killing one month old lambs in front of each other. As Easter approaches, lamb consumption increases significantly.[caption id="attachment_44563" align="alignnone" width="644"]
Lambs are violently loaded onto the transport lorry. - Source: Essere Animali[/caption]The video clearly shows the lambs being pulled off the lorry by their legs, ears or with a rope to get to the slaughterhouse. They are then stunned with an electric device. If this doesn't work, as often happens, then a stun gun is used which is significantly more brutal.[caption id="attachment_44565" align="alignnone" width="644"]
Source: Essere Animali[/caption]After spending a long time in the transport lorry, terrified, the lambs are then brutally greeted, making them all the more agitated. They are then slaughtered in front of each other, increasing their fear even more.Essere Animali released a statement on their site:
They are babies, they are afraid during the trip and are scared about being separated from their mother. They should be petted instead of watching their peers getting slaughtered, then suffer for minutes before dying. This footage is recent, we are currently in the process of deciding what to do with our lawyer.
While there is no law in Italy forbidding the slaughtering of animals in groups, there are measures to prevent stress and pointless suffering. Unfortunately, practices such as this are widespread throughout Europe as the Swiss abattoir investigation recently revealed. Essere Animali reports:
This isn't the first time that we've reported failure to comply with regulations in Italian slaughterhouses. Each year 400,000 lambs are killed in the run-up to Easter in Italy.
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Source: Essere Animali[/caption]However, there is still a glimmer of hope as over the past few years meat consumption has decreased significantly. In fact, in Italy, the number of slaughtered lambs per year has fallen by 50% in 10 years.
Once again this year, the Codocons (NGO bringing together the country's consumer assocations), has registered a 10% decrease of lamp consumption. Easter is certainly a festive time with its traditions but rather then respecting them, we choose to respect animals, by deciding not to eat them.
If you would like to support the Essere Animali charity, you can make a donation by clicking here.You can view the video investigation below: (Attention, shocking images.)
Source: Essere Animali