Emergency slaughter of an otherwise healthy animal usually happens when the animal has suffered an injury that prevented its transport to the slaughterhouse for welfare reasons. In cases where the animal must be slaughtered on-farm, it must be carried out humanely in accordance with the European Communities (Welfare of Farmed Animals) Regulations 2008 (S.I. No. 14 of 2008) either by a registered veterinary practitioner or by a slaughterman licensed by the Local Authority under the Slaughter of Animals Act 1935. In July 2009 the Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council published “Guidelines for Veterinary Practitioners and Farmers on managing acutely injured livestock on Farm”, aimed at assisting veterinary practitioners and farmers in arriving at an informed decision on the method of dealing with such animals, having regard to both animal welfare and public health.
Procedures for dealing with such animals in slaughter plants are set out in the protocols of my Department’s Veterinary Public Health Inspection Service and the Local Authority Veterinary Service. There is no obligation on any slaughter plant to accept such animals. Where an animal of this type is accepted, it is subject to the intake checks at the slaughter plant, as well as any additional examinations deemed necessary by the official veterinarian. My Department is of the view that the number of service providers in this area is adequate as in addition to licensed units operating within the commercial sector, there are currently in excess of 2,400 registered veterinary practitioners in the State.
