By Mitchell Clarke
An alleged illegal slaughterhouse operating in Kooweerup has been discovered, with footage emerging of reported animal cruelty.
The footage from the alleged operation shows workers spitting on animals and sheep being slaughtered without stunning.
The footage was sent to Western Victoria MP Andy Meddick from an anonymous source in response to the Australian documentary ‘Dominion’.
“This slaughterhouse is completely illegal and operating outside all of the regulations meant to be in place to protect animals and consumers,” Mr Meddick said.
“We don’t know how many of these brutal and unsanitary illegal slaughterhouses operate in and around Melbourne.
“What we do know is that we wouldn’t know anything about them without the work of brave whistle-blowers, who investigate and document these places. It is they who do the work that alert the public to these crimes.”
He’s calling on the Victorian inquiry into animal activism to focus on fixing animal cruelty rather than criminalising those who expose it.
“Some politicians are fixated on criminalising those who expose cruelty – rather than fixing laws to prevent cruelty.”
Mr Meddick has made a formal complaint to Primesafe, the Statutory Authority that regulates the safety of meat, and is calling for the facility to be closed down.
“The cruelty to these animals, including killing without stunning, could even go unpunished as the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act does not apply to animals slaughtered for food,” Mr Meddick said.
“Justice weeps at the state of our laws concerning animal cruelty.”
Minister for Agriculture Jaclyn Symes was contacted for comment.
“Agriculture Victoria and PrimeSafe are currently investigating reports of unlawful livestock slaughter in South Gippsland,” Ms Symes said.
“As the matter is under investigation it would be inappropriate to comment further.”
More to come.
