[Slaughterhouse in Japan] Tether too short to even lie down, tied overnight without even water

December 2019, midnight.

At a slaughterhouse in Japan, this cow was tied with a very short rope passed through the nose ring, awaiting slaughter the next morning.

The length of the rope was so short that the cow could not lie down, and even limited his ability to move the head up or down.  The cow with his behavior severely restricted continued to stand there, stepping and licking around the mouth with his tongue.  Not even a water drinking facility.  Even if there were, his mouth probably couldn’t reach there with the short rope.  He is in this state until he is killed the next day.

Ability to drink water while on hold at the slaughterhouse

Ability to lie down

Both of these should be the minimum standards in handling animals that should be a given.  However it has been neglected without even little consideration.  Is any treatment ok if it’s about “livestock animals”?

If one says that we can handle them in whatever ways because we’re killing them anyway, that’s like saying that humans also die someday so whatever can happen to them.

Animal Rights Center Japan is seeking the following four improvements to the slaughterhouse:

• The mooring method shall be such that the minimum length of the rope allows the cow to lie down with the neck on the ground.
• If mooring, place drinking water in a container that doesn’t topple down, where the cows can drink without trouble.
• If mooring, in winter or in strong winds, enclose them with sheets, curtains, or plywood panels to block coldness and wind.
• If mooring will be long, such as when slaughtering the next day, provide a rubber mat to reduce stress.

At slaughterhouses for overseas export,such handling is unacceptable.  Exports to the United States, Brazil, Hong Kong, Australia, EU, Canada, Taiwan, New Zealand require drinking water when moored, and the EU requires “cows to be able to lie down when necessary”.  In case of mooring over a long time, some countries require feeding.

Japan, like other countries, should at least give minimum consideration.

Animal husbandry must be eliminated, but a huge number of animals will still be killed before animal agriculture is abolished.  We hope the situation for those being killed every day can be improved even a little.