The campaign that aims for mandatory CCTV inside Britain’s slaughterhouses receives the backing of 43,737 members of the public.
World Horse Welfare believes that the introduction and monitoring of CCTV at all slaughterhouses licenced to take horses in the UK would assist the FSA (Food Standards Agency) in their duty of enforcement so that cruelty like what happened inside a UK abattoir this year can be prevented from happening again.
The popular petition was signed by the likes of BBC Formula One presenter, Lee Mckenzie; British Olympic equestrian sportswoman, Mary King and three-day eventing elite, Pippa Funnell and her show jumping husband, William.
The celebrated equestrians William and Pippa Funnell MBE handed the petition over to Defra at the end of November.
The strongly backed campaign was launched by the charity after it was asked by Sky News to review undercover footage filmed by Hillside Animal Sanctuary at the Red Lion abattoir in Cheshire. World Horse Welfare was appalled at the catalogue of breaches of laws meant to protect horses at slaughter – horses being beaten, dispatched in view of other horses, and other inhumane treatment.
World Horse Welfare called for suspension of all activities at the abattoir until new systems ensuring humane treatment were put in place. The abattoir was subsequently ordered to close temporarily, not on welfare grounds, but because the FSA said that the establishment did not meet all the infrastructure requirements which permit the safe production of meat. The Red Lion is still not taking horses but intends to reopen soon after refurbishment.
Chief Executive of World Horse Welfare, Roly Owers says: “The public and horse owners need to have confidence that equine slaughter is carried out humanely in Britain.
“World Horse Welfare believes that compulsory CCTV is a vital aid to help protect horses and while we believe there is a role for humane slaughter in Britain, inhumane slaughter has no place and is indeed illegal.
“We hope to make a strong impact on Defra with the number of signatures that we have collected from our compassionate supporters.”
The charity will continue to press the case for CCTV with Defra who are reluctant to compel slaughterhouses to install the cameras on cost grounds. World Horse Welfare does not accept this argument as CCTV systems can be purchased relatively inexpensively, and believes remote monitoring may have cost and other benefits.“We hope the public will continue to show their support for change in 2014,” says Roly.
