Animal cruelty charges laid on ‘pig bashing’ abattoir

Posted by AFN Staff Writers on 22nd January 2013

The Hawkesbury Valley Meat Processors in western Sydney and one of its former employees have been charged with animal cruelty following heinous footage revealed recently.

Australian Food News reported last year on animal cruelty in the abattoir after Australian television footage revealed pigs being bashed with a metal bar while still alive, as well as instances of failure to stun the pigs before their throats were cut.

Australian law requires the pigs to be stunned and unconscious before the throats are cut.

The six days of undercover footage shows a pig’s head “pummeled” seven times, while another worker beat a different pig thirteen times just a minute later.

The company has been served a notice to appear in court next month over nine animal cruelty charges, with the former employee charged with an animal cruelty offence