People against live exports. I would love to be able to help more to protect the animals and the Australian way of life but as you know my family is fighting the Government ourselves to get protection and justice for children and I do not have the time.

Children are being denied rights, they are being targeted, bullied, victimised, abused, oppressed and treated like dirt.

Humans are being denied procedural fairness and natural justice.

Why do you think that our Government will consider animal rights when they do not even consider the rights of law-abiding citizens and children?

I do not have the time to help with the animals, I have 4 children and a husband to look after, I have to work full time, I am also fighting the Government so that 'humans' can be afforded what should be their rights and treated with respect. What hope do animals have if humans have no rights and nobody cares how they are treated?

Whilst I despair at how cruel and selfish some people have become my first priority is children. I appreciate that your first priority is the animals and I wish you all the best of luck.

Education - Keeping them Honest
http://jolandachallita.typepad.com/education/
Our children deserve better

Runner`s comment>
In my opinion animals should be killed with the least amount of pain and distress.
Posted by runner, Saturday, 12 January 2008 10:28:10 AM


Runner, Yes I agree but I do not agree with the thing about abortion – sorry and also it is really off topic on this thread.

I read above that it was once said by Senator Andrew Bartlett when debating cruelty to animals and being interjected by other members of Parliament with a similar off topic response that he responded with this-
It would be hard if not impossible to inflict such pain by compassion Mr. speaking to something that is less than a grain of rice and unborn.

However that does not mean that Animal cruelty should be considered as a `lesser concern` or that we should not do all we can to lesson the suffering of our fellow Creatures Mr? Speaker.[Or words to that effect]

I thought to myself.

There goes a good Man*



Danielle,Hi You said>

At the early period when kosher killing was introduced, it would have been the most humane way of killing an animal. I know little about Halal slaughter other than what has been explained here. But I do agree this type of killing an animal is inhumane.

Taryn replies>

I can see your heart is in the right place. May I point out that you said you know nothing of Halal Slaughter however you agreed it was inhumane.
As Yabby said, Lets get the right answers for the animal’s sake.
Also the public have no idea what (Grandin and Regenstein, 1994).
[It’s important to speak in terms they follow.]

Foxy Said
I'm with PALE&IF and the RSPCA on this one. `thanks` Foxy. Love to Sky

Evolution, said

But back to the point! I say NO to exports.

Hi Evolution, actually it’s not about live exports .

And Yabby- Taryn

Yabby, you said to Evolution>

Will you pay producers the difference of their loss?
Taryn asks, ```` Is is it fair households pay to subsidize live exports?

Why not help Muslims to slaughter `here` by SAME assistance?

hello

This was sent with permission from the Author Trish Brown.

Visit to a Halal Abattoir

On 14 August 2003 I met the Chief Executive Officer and managers of the largest meat processing company south of Perth. The company operates an abattoir as well as a processing and packaging operation.

During our meeting, we exchanged views on the live animal export trade. I emphasised that PACAT’s major concern is the cruelty of the trade and the unaddressed animal welfare issues which were endemic right throughout the trade, from the farm gate to the final destination overseas. In particular, we discussed the observation reports of slaughter procedures overseas, and agreed that methods used overseas are unacceptably inhumane and cannot compare to out strict Australian procedures.

I outlined PACAT’s agenda, which is to convince the Federal government to phase out this trade and replace it with processed meat to all the overseas markets. The cruelty issue alone have not stopped the trade in the past and no doubt will stop the trade in the future. But by expanding the meat processing industries throughout Australia, there would be more employment for Australians in all aspects of the meat processing industries; value-adding to our export industry; and an end to the inhumane live animal export trade.

The CEO, who is on the Meat Processing Taskforce (MPT) which is formed early this year, verified that he had read PACAT’s report which had been sent to him, and which outlined the adverse economic impacts of the live trade on the meat processing industry.

He stated that his company, which exports to the Middle East, Asia, Japan and the USA, currently employs between 350 - 400 staff and has been operating under the capacity for years. He stated that the overseas markets for Halal meat cannot be met because the live trade gets first preference from the livestock sales yards. But he said that if the company had a consistent supply of cattle all year round, they could increase their workforce by another 200 and operate at full capacity seven days a week.

Continues next post

Continued

Apparently there are four other combined Halal abattoir processing companies in Western Australia, handling cattle, sheep and goats, and they are all operating under capacity. There are approximately 64 abattoirs operating in Western Australia. Many of these abattoirs can only employ their staff for 2 - 3 days per week. All have supply problems due to the live trade.

When our meeting concluded I was taken to the Quality Assurance Manager’s office and given the regulations and procedures for the Halal slaughter to read. Then we both went to the clothing store to put on the regulation white coat, rubber boats and paper cap before being admitted into the abattoir.

I was amazed at the size of the abattoir operation. It was unbelievably clean and the walls, fixtures and fittings were all finished in stainless steel. The floor staff were standing on platforms and attending to particular tasks on the assembly line of hanging carcasses. We walked past them to the very end of the building and arrived at the stunning box where the animals are stunned.

The box is made of stainless steel and it faces toward Mecca. Only one animal at a time is in the box and it cannot see the hanging carcasses. Its head is the only part that is visible. The person conducting the stunning is a trained slaughterman. The person undertaking the ritual slaughter, is a Muslim slaughterman.

I witnessed the bolt gun being placed to the middle of the cow’s forehead. The animal was not stressed and it actually appeared curious because it did not know what was happening. I was only an arm’s length away from its head.

The side door dropped down automatically away from the box as the unconscious animal collapsed. There was no sound and no movement from the animal. The Muslim slaughterman chanted in Arabic as he grasped the head and severed the cow’s windpipe and carotid artery. The whole process lasted no longer that six seconds. I was told that the prayer chanted translates as: “In the name of God, most gracious, most merciful.”

Continued

I left the abattoir feeling somewhat numb and saddened, however, I can honestly say that Australian abattoirs are no doubt far better places for an animal to end its life than the overseas slaughterhouses where inhumane treatment and brutality is accepted as the norm.

After shedding my abattoir clothing, I was taken to meet the staff-training manager, who showed me the training program documents. He explained that the top two training priorities are animal welfare and safety. His company employs eight full-time Muslim slaughterman and thirty-five Australian slaughtermen, as well as butchers, process workers, packers, outside staff, vets, stockman and so forth.

The Muslim slaughterman have been recruited from an Islamic body called Halal Sadiq Services. They have to be registered and have current qualification cards certifying their accreditation with Sadiq Services as well as the Perth Mosque Inc. The slaughterman as well as all other abattoir staff have to pass written and oral tests about every aspect of their jobs prior to employment.

All vets, meat inspectors, and processing activities are overseen by the AQIS VOIC vet (Australian Quarantine Inspection Services, Veterinary Officer in Charge) who verifies that the meat is Halal (meaning ‘lawful’ in Arabic).

The company’s emphasis on live animal welfare commences from the day the cattle are unloaded from the trucks until the day they are put down. The company owns the very large irrigated paddocks that surround the buildings. When the cattle are unloaded, they are watered, fed and rested and every animal given a health check.

I than returned to the main office where I had another quick chat to the CEO, who was interested to know what I thought about my tour of the abattoir section of the company operations. The company’s position in regard to the live trade is that the meat processing industry needs to be allowed to compete on a level playing field. This is not the case at present.

To be Contunied

Continued

For example, there are too may costs imposed on the meat processing industry that are not imposed on the live trade, and too much additional government support for the live trade, that is not available to the processing industry.

We agreed to keep in touch with one another. I was asked not to mention the name of this company, no doubt due to the Halal butcher shop fire recently and concern about sabotage arising from racial hatred and ignorance. Several days later I sent a letter to the CEO of the company, to think him and his managers for their time, cooperation and courtesy.

Trish Brown

Thank You Trish Brown
I would like to say Trish Browns Amazing work and her letter were written years ago.
A total inspiration to all of us.

Perhaps we really need to look outside the square we have lived in.
If we are to put Animal Welfare first and foremost above all else can we afford not to exploy the possiblity we are wrong perhaps?

Lets as Yabby said keep an open mind.

Working under these new guidelines it would also enforce the RSPCA recomendations that Animals should be slaughtered as close to their place of origen as possible.

That would be a win win for Animal Welfare not to mention jobs for regional outback and aboriginal people, including tree change familys.

I like the sound of this possibilty

Lets however wait to see who is right and who is wrong.

I am all for the most kind method