New report to help the veterinary profession be more sustainable and play its role in the UK’s race to net zero
29 Oct 2024
Every year millions of animals are slaughtered without pre-stunning, compromising their welfare. Discover our policies and campaign on the welfare of animals at slaughter.
EU and UK legislation requires that all livestock is stunned before slaughter to render them insensible to pain at the time of killing. However, the law also allows an exemption for animals slaughtered in accordance with religious rites. Every year millions of animals are slaughtered without pre-stunning, compromising their welfare.
While our long-term aim is to move towards an end to non-stun, we’re calling for improved regulation of non-stun slaughter through:
Write to your MP to support our calls for all animals to be stunned before slaughter.
Use our BVA #ChooseAssured: UK farm assurance schemes infographic to help you choose meat products that have been stunned before slaughter.
Scientific evidence shows that slaughter without pre-stunning (known as non-stun slaughter) causes animals unnecessary pain. Our view is that all animals should be stunned before slaughter.
CCTV recording should be mandatory in slaughterhouses across the UK in all areas where live animals are present, with unrestricted access to real time and stored footage for Official Veterinarians.
Our 7 guiding principles help consumers evaluate UK farm assurance schemes against their own priorities for animal health and welfare, including welfare at slaughter.
Our new policy on welfare at animals at slaughter sets out recommendations for governments, industry, researchers, and the veterinary profession at each stage of the slaughter process.