AS a veterinarian who spent several years working in abattoirs, it is with sadness that I read the recent articles in the press following the Farm Animal Welfare Committee report on CCTV in slaughterhouses (VR, February 14, 2015, vol 176, p 162).
What is even more worrying is the clam from Animal Aid that vets spent much of their time in offices and were often reluctant to witness animals being killed (Anon 2015). One of the justifications for full-time veterinary supervision at abattoirs was to ensure rigorous implementation of animal welfare legislation and the hygienic production of meat. The latter can be shared with meat inspectors but welfare has always been the prime province of the Official Veterinarians. It is to be hoped that the consequences of outsourcing veterinary cover to private organisations has not precipitated a loss of veterinarians' raison d'etre.
© 2001-2024 Fundación Dialnet · Todos los derechos reservados