Close the loophole on non-stun slaughter in Australia

Should we allow sheep to be killed fully conscious in Australia? Overwhelmingly, Australians would answer "NO" to this question. Yet, while this practice is illegal in Australia, a legal loophole is allowing some slaughterhouses in South Australia and Victoria to kill sheep without stunning for a small ritual slaughter market.

With Islamic and Jewish leaders in Australia largely accepting the stunning of animals and the vast amount of 'halal accredited' meat produced in Australia coming from facilities that stun animals before slaughter, the suffering of sheep in ritual slaughter continues only to appease a very small minority.

State Ministers for Agriculture met in October (2011) and, despite considering this issue for four years, still could not make a decision on whether to close this loophole and spare sheep the pain and suffering of having their throat cut whilst fully conscious. The Ministers are now set to make a decision at their first meeting in 2012.

Please help send your Minister the message that Australians are counting on them to make a decision and do the right thing by ensuring no more sheep in Australia must endure slaughter without stunning.

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Subject: (please enter a subject line) Dear Decision Maker, (please edit the letter below, or send as-is) I'm writing to urge you to remove the exemptions that are allowing sheep to be killed fully conscious for ritual slaughter. I was deeply distressed to learn that this practice takes place in Australia. Slaughter without stunning is cruel and unnecessary. The exemptions allowing this to happen undermine our animal welfare laws - under which such a practice is illegal - and also our credibility as a compassionate society. Two recent Australian review papers and numerous international studies illustrate the fact that even with 'best practice', sheep killed without stunning can remain conscious of the pain for up to 20 seconds after their throat is cut. Religious authorities within Australia largely accept stunning, and most 'halal accredited' meat in Australia already comes from slaughterhouses where stunning is in use. As a member of the Primary Industries Ministerial Council, you are in a position to ensure all animals are stunned at slaughter in Australia. Please use your power to make the only ethical decision and close this cruel loophole. Sincerely, Your Name

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