Secret Abattoirs in the UK
Dear friends,
I wanted to share this with you. It is really incredibly important to have awareness and insight into what is happening. Not wanting to know or see or understand never helped anyone long term.
What I post here is deeply disturbing. Never eat meat or participate in it no matter what the social conventions or pressures we have to endure. In the end, people must realize not eating animals is the best option.
Tsem Rinpoche
Secret abattoir video shows ‘sickening’ abuse of animals
The Guardian, Friday 8 October 2010 | James Meikle and Paul Lewis
- Charity’s secret video shows pigs being kicked and stamped on – prompting calls for CCTV cameras in all abattoirs
Sainsbury’s, which last year suspended its use of an abattoir featured in the Animal Aid campaign until improvements were made, said many suppliers of its own-label meat already had CCTV or were installing it. “We will be asking our remaining suppliers of fresh and frozen meat to implement CCTV in their abattoirs by the end of 2011,” the supermarket said in a statement.
The Co-op has told 23 abattoirs used by its suppliers to install CCTV “in all areas of their premises where live animals are handled, including unloading and rest areas up to and including the point of kill”.
It added: “The CCTV equipment installed should be capable of recording legible, time- and date-stamped images, and storing these images for a period of not less than six months. The system should be installed and operational by the end of June 2011.”
Food Standards Agency figures last October suggested only 7% of nearly 370 UK slaughterhouses had CCTV.
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/SecretAbattoir.mp4
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/08/secret-abattoir-video-animal-abuse
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The interest in vegan and vegetarian products is on the rise, especially after consumers become aware of the cruelty involved in producing animal-based foods. Undercover footage released shows slaughterhouse brutal treatment of animals such as pigs , sheep and so forth being kicked, beaten, and thrown into cages before they are slaughtered. The animals should be immediately slaughtered so as to spare them the pain, stress, and anxiety. Secret footage shot inside a slaughterhouse has reignited a row over animal cruelty. Its sad watching this video. As results leading animal protection organisation Animal Aid requested more CCTV cameras to be place in all abattoirs. The public do not want to see animals treated in such a cruel way . To go vegetarian will be the best choice.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing high-lighted the sufferings of animals in slaughter house.
The common arguement people who refuse to give vegetarian a chance is that the meat on their plate comes from a willing animal who die happy. They felt that with the modern way of breeding and slaughtering automatically turn the meat into a guilt-free meal because the animal will not feel pain or will not suffer. It is naive to think that way. This video is ANOTHER proof that animals being abused no matter how modern the world has become. Be a vegetarian is the best way to keep ourselves from being the main cause these animals have to suffer! Stop the demand and the supply will cease.
A dark secret revealed abattoirs in UK was caught on CCTV an act of cruelty and abused of pigs before death. Feeling horrific after watching these video ,the pigs at the slaughtered house been kicked, electrocuted, shoved and bludgeon . So cruel ,can see how much pain and sufferings those poor animals suffered in the hands of abattoirs. The animal does not regain consciousness after all the kicking and so forth. Sheep and pigs destined for the butcher’s block scream in footage captured, its horrible hearing the screaming and seeing those animals facing death. Deeply shocking to see and it’s barbaric.
Its great that animal aid caught them but not good enough when it was produced in the court .But at least they could bring the awareness of such things happening behind the scene. I really hope that the authorities crack down on those involved and to improve enforcement of the legislation on welfare on-farm and during transport and slaughter. Choosing to go on vegetarian is a right choice.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing
This reminds me of a Paul McCartney quote: “If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian.”
It makes you think why these companies feel the need to hide their activities, and to make sure security is so tight to the point animal rights activists have to go undercover to film what’s going on. If their practices are above board and legal, and won’t cause shock and horror to the public, then what’s wrong with being open and honest? What are they ashamed of?
And the people who work in such environments are sick (sorry to be so blunt). Not only can they tolerate the constant killing and feel nothing, but on top of that they take pleasure in it. As indicated by the kicking and stamping, yes they do take pleasure in it because on top of killing, you’re also inflicting additional pain to an animal already on its way to certain death.
At the same time, it’s convenient for the consumer to ignore what’s going on in these slaughterhouses. You don’t want to know that your dietary choices are the cause of death for billions of animals each year. But carnivores should really consider WHY they choose to ignore the suffering in abattoirs. The fact you don’t want to know what’s going on with these animals and how they are killed, reflects that deep down, you know what’s taking place is wrong and you don’t want to be identified with it, or you don’t want to know that your decisions have any part in the pain and killing.
If carnivores want to continue consuming meat, then it’s up to them to put pressure on the supermarkets to in turn apply pressure on their suppliers (aka the abattoirs) to ensure best practices and end the unnecessary torture of animals. It’s time we practise some level of awareness regarding the impact our dietary choices have on the world at large. We may think we are just a small drop in the ocean so what good could it do? Well, if everyone thought like that then social change would never happen. It takes just one person to make a difference, and saying your choices have no bearing on the situation is an excuse to not help and to not have to change, and to stay comfortable because YOU want to be comfortable at the expense of everybody and everything else. Rosa Parks was a single individual who ignited a totally revolutionary period in American history. If she thought in the same way and never stood up for what is right, then black history would tell a very different story today.
It’s already sad that the pigs are slaughtered and made into food, but the saddest thing is tormenting them before killing them. I hope that such cruel actions will be stopped soon as some of the people have learnt the truth behind all these slaughter houses through the CCTVs.
Thank You for sharing Rinpoche.
Love, beatrix.
I feel so sad while watching this video, because the pigs were being shocked and beaten up. We should never put our anger on animals they innocent. Take this for an example: if you are an animal, you have being beaten up by workers and you didn’t do anything, how does that feel? Always think about every sentient being’s feelings and please stop hurting animals. Thank you for reading
As long as there are demand, there will be supply. We should not consume meat so that slaughterhouses do not need to exist and animals need not have to be abused and killed for our taste buds and craving stomachs.
It is good that CCTV are installed in abattoirs and this should be make public to create awareness of what animals have to go through for our pleasure.
Sigh… It is already sad enough to slaughter them for food but to abuse them before they die is really too much. How can people cause so much pain and be ignorant about it?
It is definitely a brilliant idea to install CCTVs at all slaughter houses. And have the recorded videos be made public so that people can see what are they putting into their stomachs and how much the animals have to suffer for them…
I hate the things that people do to hurt animals. And slaughtering them is the worst. I wish all of this will stop soon and that the people who are going to install CCTV systems have a proof that animals are being treated in such a way. And hopefully there will be no more slaughter houses in UK.
At some point when we were young and did not know better, we were given meat to eat. Along the way, we just consumed meat as a matter of habit. But now we have knowledge that not only are human beings not natural meat eaters, but we also participate in great atrocities directly by eating meat and supporting the abuse, torture and merciless slaughter of animals. That it is so difficult for people to change their habits, that instead of being open-minded to facts, people vehemently resist the suggestion that they are doing anything wrong by eating meat even to the point of claiming that it is a human being’s right to kill or cause an animal to be killed shows how truly deluded and ignorant we are all.
Those of us who have been blessed by having met the Guru and listened to his words can do well to remember that we may most probably still be eating meat if we had not met Rinpoche. Perhaps, a more effective way to make friends realize the grave mistake of eating meat, is not only to bring the pro-vegetarian message to them, but also to bring the Dharma to them. Or bring them to the Guru.
We are delusional animals if we don’t raise up.
What’s the difference between me and a pig?
What is the difference?
I wouldn’t look to far… there is no difference other than a different body, a different intellectual ability and a “first class” ticket INTO existence.
How long will I retain these “premiums” How long?
my body, I know for sure, I can’t keep very long.
My intellectual ability? It’s gone with my body also…
My “first class” ticket? Am I really sure that I have enough credit to get the same class of travel in my next ride?
So what is the difference between me and a pig?
The difference is this: Today I eat the pig, I participate to his death, I finance the abattoir, I sponsor the slaughterer’s salary.
Tomorrow, it is possible that I am the slaughtered animal, that I am the pig.
My turn then.
And what could I do to stop this butchery then? NOTHING!
the difference between me and a pig is NOT permanent, it is NOT permanent.
Today I am in charge, and I can ABUSE.
Tomorrow I am helpless, and I am ABUSED.
Let’s STOP all our delusional activities now, let’s stop abusing others.
Let’s put in motion a reversed logic and HELP others instead of ABUSING them.
Then when it is our turn to be abused, we may find a helping hand instead.
I wished more people would truly understand the meaning behind these type of videos… some people watch these kind of footage but can’t associate it with the char siew they are having for lunch. Some even say that of course, these kind of videos by animal activists would portray the worst case scenarios. Some just refuse to even watch at all because they don’t want to feel guilty when they eat steak… I guess its a “better” move to install cctvs in abbatoirs but.. it is still killing another being which feels the same pain and fears humans would feel if they were going to get killed and/or tortured.
Looking at this video I do feel as long as we consume meat, there will exist abbatoirs, if abbatoirs exist so will people who run it will have to do the job. Lets be kind to each and not create such jobs for people to do. Lets eat things that create no pain.
It is not hard to imagine after killing so many beings and being numbed by it, that the next thing that sets is aggression and insanity.
As commonly appearing in many blog reports, at overtaxed plants, the law is often broken, with cruel consequences for the animals. Enforcement records, interveiws, videos and workers’ affidavits describe repeated violiations of the Humane Slaughter Act, at dozens of slaughterhouses, ranging from smallest custom Butcheries to modern, automated establishments all over the world. Even a veterinarian and former chief government inspector at Pennsylvania Hamburger plant has spoken out endlessly that it is an out of control phenomenon. How true it is when a vegetarian quote says, “If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegeterian!” As in the compassionate words of Rev. Andrew Linzey, Oxford University, Animal Theology 1995, “Animals are God’s creatures, not human properties, nor utilities, nor resources, nor commodities, but precious Beings in God’s sight.”
Thank you for writing your commentary. I like it very much. Especially your quote of Rev. Linzey. I hope you don’t mind, I copied your quote on and put it on FB. Thank you again.