Day 018 - 26 Jul 94 - Page 36
1
Q. In what ways?
2 A. The animals get stressed, they get excited. There can
be chaos in the stunning pen. This can lead to the
3 operators losing their temper; you can get abusive
animals.
4
Q. They could be hit?
5 A. Yes.
6 Q. Kicked?
A. Yes.
7
Q. Shouted at?
8 A. Yes.
9 Q. Do pigs mind being shouted at?
A. You tell me. I do not know.
10
MR. JUSTICE BELL: Would it be superficial to say that no
11 animal likes to be treated roughly?
A. I think that is a fair comment, yes. There is a
12 certain amount of dignity attached to any animal handling
operation which also has a bearing on the attitude of the
13 animal operator. Where that dignity breaks down you can
lead to situations where you get animal maltreatment, so
14 it has another aspect as well, not just a direct aspect
but an indirect one through the behaviour of the human on
15 the animal.
16 MR. RAMPTON: Are you proposing this: In order to achieve that
kind of dignity in the interests of animal welfare, there
17 must be some kind of a relationship or understanding
between the handler and the animals that he is in charge
18 of?
A. An understanding of the behaviour and the preferences
19 of the animal is important.
20 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Could I just ask, do you gather that most of
the stockmen at the slaughter houses have been trained
21 there or have they come from being farming stockmen?
A. That is a very good question. Many abattoirs are
22 closely associated with towns. I do know of some
slaughter men who have been recruited from farms. I think
23 I know more slaughter men who have been brought up in
towns and may not be familiar with handling animals.
24
MR. RAMPTON: Before we go into the stunning pens, I want to
25 ask you in a little more detail about that. Are there any
more comments you wish to offer about the operation at
26 GD Bowes up to that point, either negative or positive, so
far as you can recall?
27 A. No.
28 Q. What is the method most commonly used to stun pigs in this
country?
29 A. Electrical stunning.
30 Q. How is that electrical stun applied in practice?
A. It should be applied with a pair of scissor shaped
