This morning we were at a slaughterhouse near Bolu. Eyes on Animals has been visiting this plant for several years now. But now we were equipped with stunners. We taught the workers how to use a stunner and explained how, when used correctly, it renders the animal at least insensitive to pain right before the cut. First they practiced on the heads of already butchered animals, afterwards on the live cattle that were to be slaughtered today. Today for the first time, cattle were rendered first insensitive to the pain so that the deep cut to the throat would not be felt. Slaughter can never be 100% humane, but when you think that normally cattle are hoisted by one leg off the floor and then have their entire neck cut open while fully conscious, this is a huge step forward. More and more Turkish people are learning about stunning and are open to it. We will encourage these types of positive steps so suffering can really be curbed, not just exposed. Thank you to our dear donors that support this type of field work, and to the companies (Pezzaioli, Hunland) that agreed to finance the stunners and cartridges we need to work here effectively this year.
