Schlagwort: slaughterhouse

Suffering is inherent in the System

It’s that time again. The VGT is anonymously provided with recordings from a slaughterhouse, which shows the brutality and contempt with which people treat feeling, suffering creatures. This case is about chickens, but in the end, it probably doesn’t matter which species it’s about or which slaughterhouse the pictures come from, in all of them our fellow creatures are treated cruelly. Now and then people take heart and want such recordings to reach the public. The consequences are as banal as they are predictable.

Weiterlesen

Empathy forbidden (2)

Anna stormed into the kitchen where her father was sitting eating a snack. “Where did Mathilde & Max end up? What is the strange horse doing in her box?” Anna asked flatly. „The horse is there, the owner pays a lot of stable fees and I had to give them both away,“ the father replied unperturbed. “But those were my animals!!! You can’t just give them away,“ Anna insisted. „Do you have that in writing?“ the man asked calmly. Anna let herself fall weakly into a chair. Was that meant seriously now? She got dizzy. „I bought the animals from you and was sure that I can trust you,“ she said flatly, whereupon the father just shrugged his shoulders as if it were none of his business, as if he had nothing to do with it, so that Anna got angry. Adrenalin flooded through her and gave her new strength. „Where have they gone? Who did you sell them to, Judas?” she demanded. „On the way to the slaughterhouse,“ admitted the father. „Maybe I can still save them,“ thought Anna, jumped up, ran into the yard and sped away in her father’s van, „At least I have to try.“ Behind her she heard her father’s angry voice, but it was her doesn’t matter. He had betrayed her, but she would not let herself cry. There was no time for that now.

Weiterlesen

Cruelty to Animals pays off!

Germany and Austria are said to be among the countries where animal welfare is very important. If you look at the relevant legislation, you might almost think that there could be some truth to it. Right at the beginning of the Austrian Animal Welfare Act it says the following:

§ 1 TSchG: The aim of this federal law is to protect the life and well-being of animals from the special responsibility of humans for animals as fellow creatures.

According to the law, we are to understand „the animal“ as a „fellow creature“ and as such it is our responsibility to protect it and ensure that it feels comfortable. It is therefore important to read paragraph 5, because it lists what apparently contradicts this well-being:

§ 5 TSchG: It is forbidden to inflict unjustified pain, suffering or harm on an animal or to put it in severe fear.

In contrast, the German Animal Welfare Act, which combines both paragraphs of the Austrian counterpart, is as follows:

§ 1 TSchG: The purpose of this law is to protect the life and well-being of humans from their responsibility for animals as fellow creatures. No one may cause pain, suffering or harm to an animal without just cause.

Weiterlesen