WHAT IS ANIMAL WELFARE?
It is very difficult to define exactly what animal welfare is because people’s attitudes to animals vary so much in our community. However, it is generally accepted in the community and by regulators that people have a responsibility for animals in their care and must ensure they are free from distress and that they are content.
Perhaps the easiest guide to understanding animal welfare is the five freedoms approach. This defines welfare in terms of:
- freedom from hunger and thirst
- freedom from discomfort
- freedom from pain, injury and disease
- freedom to express normal behaviour
- freedom from fear and distress.
WHY MUST ANIMALS BE HANDLED HUMANELY?
There are six main reasons why animals should be handled humanely at slaughtering plants:
- ethical reasons
- product quality
- product safety
- legal requirements
- customer expectations
- company profitability.