Gabriele Meurer MRCVS, a former official veterinary surgeon in UK abattoirs, says
“What is happening right now in British slaughterhouses is quite simply a scandal. Sometimes when these creatures are hanging on the line bleeding to death, you can see the unborn calves kicking inside their mothers’ wombs. I, as a vet, am not supposed to do anything about this. Unborn calves do not exist according to the regulations. I just had to watch, do nothing and keep quiet. It broke my heart. I felt like a criminal. I left the Meat Hygiene Service and the country - completely disillusioned and full of disgust.”
DEFRA say that they do not see any justification for recording the number of pregnant animals who are slaughtered. However, a scientific paper published by the British Cattle Veterinary Association reveals that 150,000 pregnant cows are sent to slaughter each year. At least 40,000 of these cows are in the last stages of their pregnancy and are bearing calves who may be capable of independent life.
When Viva! asked what the government planned to do to prevent so many pregnant cows from being sent to slaughter, DEFRA replied
“We do not believe that the slaughter of pregnant cows presents a specific welfare concern... We do not believe further legal measures are necessary to protect the welfare of pregnant cows or unborn calves.”
