We Demand a Ban on the Religious Slaughter of Animals without Pre-Stunning on Animal Welfare Grounds
- by: Debbie Michaels
- recipient: Prime Minster of the United Kingdom Rt Hon Theresa May MP
The Religious Slaughter of animals for food, without pre-stunning, is currently allowed in the United Kingdom and is exempt from EU Slaughter Regulations that require the animal to be pre-stunned prior to slaughter.
We recognise that religious beliefs and practices should be respected, but we also believe that the welfare of these animals should be paramount and slaughtered under the most humane conditions possible.
Non-stun methods cause suffering to millions of farm animals every year. When an animal is Slaughtered by cutting its throat it can take up to two minutes for cattle to lose consciousness and up to two and a half minutes or more for poultry, sometimes this process can be much longer .
Without pre-stunning this would cause very significant pain and suffering in the period before insensibility supervenes
The level of restraint required to expose and cut the throat whilst holding the animal still, until it had bled out, is far greater than that needed for conventional slaughter.
Pre-stunning delivers an instant loss of consciousness when it is done correctly thereby relieving the animal of this extra suffering and distress.
Slaughter without prior stunning has been banned in many other countries, including Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Denmark. Why hasn't the UK?
If our animals have to be slaughtered then we demand it is done in the most humane way possible and that a ban on non-stun slaughter is enforced with no exceptions
THIS PETITION IS NOT RELIGIOUSLY OR RACIALLY MOTIVATED AND HAS BEEN ACTIONED FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF ENDING ANIMAL SUFFERING
To the Rt Hon Theresa May MP
I am writing to you, as a British Citizen, who is outraged at the lack of action taken by the British Parliament over the highly controversial policy of allowing the Non Stun Slaughter, on Farm Animals, within certain communities of our society.
Under UK law, all farmed animals have to be stunned prior to slaughter, to render them unconscious at the time of death. However, under special legal exemption, many Farm animals will have their throats slit, whilst fully conscious, causing prolonged suffering and inhumane deaths.
The Animals due for slaughter will see those before them, being treated with no respect or compassion, having their throats slit, hung up on hooks until they bleed to death, whilst desperately trying to escape their own impending death. They are very aware of what is happening and have the same capacity to feel fear and experience pain as we do.
I urge you to watch the video attached to this petition and not ignore the real issue here as others have done in the past.
If it has been deemed necessary to Pre-Stun farm animals, prior to death, on *animal welfare grounds* then how can the government allow exemptions? The Law is the Law for all citizens and this needs to be enforced for everyone. We are all equal and there should be no exemptions for those who practice certain religions.
Religion is a belief and everyone has the right to have their own beliefs, however, suffering in the name of religion is not acceptable. The animals’ suffering is not a belief, but a FACT and we must protect our Farm animals from all unnecessary pain and cruelty.
There are many countries that have already implemented a total ban on Non Stun Slaughter and I am very disappointed that our Government has yet to step up and make a stand against this. We must not be afraid to take the necessary action to correct this wrongful practice in case it might cause offence to some. There are many more citizens that are greatly offended and outraged by this practice and want it to be banned.
We must listen to the overwhelming evidence from Veterinary Surgeons, BVA, RSPCA, HSA, FAWC and FVE that all agree that slaughter, without Pre Stunning, causes immense suffering and distress to our animals.
I respectfully submit this petition and the signatures of those who have signed it, to you today for a response please.
Debbie Michaels
Rt Hon Theresa May MP
Animal Health and Welfare Board UK
Secretary for Environment Food and Rural Affairs UK
Mr George Freeman MP UK
We are not far off 10,000 so please continue to share and tweet. We need to send a clear message to David Cameron that we will not support religious slaughter.
Thank you for your support
Thank you for signing this petition, we now have over 5,000 signatures. With your help we can reach 10,000
Slaughter without pre-stunning is unacceptable and we need to present the Government with unequivocal evidence, that the Public considers this barbaric practice, totally unacceptable
Please Share & Tweet this Petition so that as many people as possible are made aware of the VERY SIGNIFICANT PAIN & DISTRESS caused by this inhumane practice
Thanks to YOU we now have over 2,000 signatures in just 2 days!
Last year Members of Parliament debated this issue and failed to listen to Public opinion.
We will not be silenced.
You can help further by Sharing and Tweeting this petition so that we get 10,000 signatures to present to Members of Parliament to debate this issue again.
We will not give up until this barbaric act is banned with No Exceptions
Thank you once again for caring
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