Day 114 - 04 Apr 95 - Page 21
1 casualty in animals during transport. Did the situation
2 change since that time in terms of what the laws were or
3 what the regulations were for the transport and slaughter
4 of sick animals?
5 A. Since this report there have been codes of practice on
6 the dealing with casualty animals or fallen stock, as they
7 are often referred to, and actions particularly by the
8 British Veterinary Association in order to regularise the
9 vets' intervention in these matters. So this report was
10 one of the first efforts to try to get rid of some of the
11 abuses in the treatment of casualty animals. So, action
12 has been taken. It is still the cause of a lot of
13 controversy.
14
15 Q. As you said yesterday, I believe, sick animals are still
16 transported?
17 A. Yes, there is a great deal of controversy. I could
18 cite a recent case involving a vet. That went to the
19 Magistrates Court. He was found guilty. Then it went to
20 appeal and I think it went backwards and forwards.
21 Ultimately, he was found -- his original sentence was
22 reversed, but it just goes to show how controversial it
23 was. The case was actually brought by the Ministry of
24 Agriculture.
25
26 Q. Is that because the laws in this area are unclear?
27 A. It is difficult ---
28
29 Q. Or confusing?
30 A. -- to assess certainly whether an animal has gone down
31 is fit to be transported. It means that the vet has to
32 decide how far the animal can be transported, what sort of
33 state it is in, should it just go to the nearest
34 slaughterhouse, what are the commercial pressures on the
35 farmer and the value of the animal? So, it is a very
36 difficult decision for a vet to make, short of having the
37 animal destroyed on the spot.
38
39 Q. In paragraph 187 on page 46 -----
40
41 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Do veterinary surgeons carry humane killers
42 of one kind or another in their ordinary equipment?
43 A. Yes.
44
45 Q. What are they normally?
46 A. Captive bolt nearly always, but they also carry
47 phenobarbitone so that they can inject. Also, RSPCA
48 inspectors, they have access to captive bolts and they
49 trained, but they do not get much practice with them.
50 Usually, a vet or an RSPCA inspector, if it is necessary to
51 kill an animal instantaneously on humane grounds, a farm
52 animal, will actually call a slaughterman or a knacker to
53 do it.
54
55 MR. MORRIS: Than in paragraph 187 it talks about the laws
56 protecting that they say should provide protection for
57 unfit animals against unnecessary suffering before they
58 reach the slaughterhouse. They say: "We are not convinced
59 however that this is either fully understood by those
60 concerned or that such provisions are adequately enforced
