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NEWS!! Yudisthira and HSI Launch Humane Abattoir and Farm Animal Welfare Project
(Bali, 19 July 2002) "Abattoir" is derived from French and refers to a slaughterhouse. Each year 100's of millions of animals are slaughtered for food. The objective of this project and others like it around the world is to see that these animals are killed in a painless manner. Some might say, "What difference does it make since these animals are dying anyway." But one only has to visit a slaughterhouse and see the suffering that these animals go through in order to appreciate the value of this work.
This is certainly not the glamorous part of animal welfare, but it is an area which begs for attention. Once you see and hear a half dead animal writhing in pain and crying out for help, you know that something needs to be done. Most of us would rather not think about how that steak on our plate got there, but slaughterhouses are one of the realities that animal welfare groups have to deal with. While humane slaughter is a normal practice in slaughterhouses in the West, it is much less so in underdeveloped countries. The Humane Society International (HSI), which also supports Yudisthira's dog programs, is leading the campaign to implement humane slaughter practices around the world. HSI has hooked up with Yudisthira to provide research, equipment, and training to slaughterhouses and veterinarians in Indonesia To launch the project, Neil Trent, the head of HSI which is headquartered in Washington D.C., visited Bali during the week of July 15, 2002. Yudisthira is acting as the local project manager. During the visit, he along with Dr. Listriani and Sherry Grant, of Yudisthira, met with government officials, the Udyana School of Veterinary Medicine and slaughterhouse owners. The research and presentations that HSI is preparing will show the economic, human health, and animal welfare benefits of proper slaughter practices. This information will be presented at the national Indonesian Veterinarian Conference to be held in Lombok in October. Yudisthira is excited to be working with the professionals at HSI to bring about needed changes in Indonesia. While the benefits of this work may be largely unseen by the public, it is nevertheless an important step towards instilling a general appreciation of animal welfare issues in Asia. Yudisthira is excited to be working with the professionals of HSI and to have their support in this worthwhile project. Our congratulations to HSI for taking up this unsung yet noble cause. And thank you to Neil for his friendship and unwavering support.
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