Day 288 - 28 Oct 96 - Page 09


     
     1
     2        Then there is the subheading "Murdering a Big Mac".
     3
     4   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   Yes.
     5
     6   MS. STEEL:   And the first sentence is: "In the slaughterhouse,
     7        animals often struggle to escape".  We have heard from
     8        various witnesses about the numerous steps taken to prevent
     9        animals from escaping and it can hardly be said that the
    10        animals are going willingly to slaughter.
    11
    12        In Mr. Lyman's statement, Mr. Howard Lyman, a former cattle
    13        rancher who gave evidence for us, he related that "when
    14        animals reach the slaughter facility the only concern is to
    15        kill as many in as short a period as possible.  The animals
    16        are terrified at the slaughter plant and the cruelty
    17        inflicted on the animal in their last moments on earth is
    18        indescribable.  I believe if viewing of slaughter was
    19        required to eat meat, most folks would become vegetarian."
    20
    21        During his evidence on day 233, page 14, we asked Mr. Lyman
    22        to explain what he meant by the animals being terrified,
    23        and he said: "The first thing is the smell.  If anyone or
    24        any animal goes to a slaughter plant, the first indication
    25        you are there is the smell.  It is much different than
    26        anything else.  You know exactly what it is."
    27
    28        "The second thing is that when the animals go up the runway
    29        to the kill floor, if you stand there and look at them and
    30        look at them in the eyes....you see the terror in their
    31        eyes as they approach the kill floor.  The animal behind
    32        the one in front of it being stunned sees what is
    33        happening, knows exactly what has happened."
    34
    35        And on page 15, he continues with: "There is no doubt that
    36        those animals going onto the kill floor know they are going
    37        to die; and they are not pleased".
    38
    39        And then he talks about the standards in the US slaughter
    40        houses and he says: "What I am talking about is the
    41        absolute standard of the industry.  What it is about is:
    42        get them in as quickly as possible, kill them as quickly as
    43        possible; and the idea of humane slaughter absolutely does
    44        not exist."
    45
    46        Dr. Long, who also gave evidence for the defence -- and I
    47        will go into his evidence in more detail tomorrow -- was
    48        asked about a statement I think which appeared at 234; some
    49        official report.  This is on day 114, page 15, and the
    50        report was quoted at: "At no stage can they see or have 
    51        contact with their fellow creatures.  In our view such 
    52        handling arrangements prior to stunning often creates a 
    53        high level of stress, even terror, for the animals."  Dr.
    54        Long says he would agree with that, "They are certainly
    55        frightened to the point of terror, it is a completely alien
    56        environment."
    57
    58        I am not sure, that might be pigs.  I probably should have
    59        read the sentence before the last part that I have referred
    60        to.  But the next sentence in the leaflet is:  "Cattle

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