Illegal slaughterhouse

Still operating one year later: sheep killed without stunning

One year after being reported to authorities, a new covert investigation reveals the illegal slaughterhouse is still operating at Koo Wee Rup, east of Melbourne.

More Information

The original 2019 footage shows sheep being brutally slaughtered without stunning, some of whom attempt to escape with their heads half removed, before the butchered meat is packed into a car and driven off the property; along with serious breaches of food hygiene and biosecurity. It was provided to Andy Meddick, Animal Justice Party MP for Western Victoria, after an anonymous source provided it to Aussie Farms.

Meddick made a formal complaint to Primesafe, the Statutory Authority that regulates the safety of meat, and is calling for the facility to be completely closed down and for those responsible to be prosecuted.

Meddick also says the release of this footage could not have come at a more crucial time, as it shows the importance of the work animal activists do, yet a parliamentary inquiry is being held in Victoria which could potentially increase penalties for whistleblowers.

In August 2020, new footage was released showing the facility is still operating exactly how it was before, with fully-conscious sheep taking up to 5 minutes to die after their throats are hacked at with a knife. Biosecurity and hygiene issues remain rampant.

In September 2020, Agriculture Victoria closed the case without laying any charges, inexplicably permitting the illegal facility to continue operating.

Take Action

While animals farmed for food are generally exempt from legal protection against cruelty, this is a clear case of criminal abuse, and yet Agriculture Victoria has refused to lay charges or prevent the facility from continuing to operate - an inevitable consequence of allowing the industry to regulate itself.

This inaction serves as an open invitation to illegally abuse animals without consequence, and could lead to the proliferation of such illegal facilities across the state.

Contact the Victorian Minister for Agriculture to demand action.

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