1 GUIDELINES FOR THE HUMANE SLAUGHTER OF ANIMALS 2 General Introduction 3 In 1963, the AVMA convened the first Panel on Euthanasia (POE) to provide 4 guidance to veterinarians who perform or oversee the euthanasia of animals. In 2011, the 5 AVMA POE determined that there was a need to address and evaluate the methods and 6 agents that veterinarians may encounter during end of life issues for animals that fall 7 outside of euthanasia. The Guidelines contained with this document relate to Humane 8 Slaughter. The Panel on Humane Slaughter (POHS) Guidelines represent the first 9 iteration of its kind for AVMA in the area of humane slaughter of food animals. Content 10 of the Guidelines reflect AVMA’s on-going concern for both the ethical consideration 11 and the treatment of animals at the end of life. In the case of humane slaughter, the 12 POHS is dedicated to ensuring that no unnecessary pain or distress is inflicted on 13 conscious food animals prior to, during or after slaughter procedures. The POHS 14 Guidelines are part of a triumvirate -- the other two parts being the AVMA’s 2013 POE 15 (AVMA, 2013) and 2014 Panel on Depopulation (POD) (in Press). 16 The treatment of animals is increasingly becoming a subject for public debate and 17 discussions, especially in light of growing concerns about industrial forms of agri- and 18 aqua-culture, and food safety. The public and the scientific community are also 19 increasingly interested by the possibility of significant cognitive, emotional, 20 psychological, and social abilities in other species. Commensurate with waxing attention 21 on how their meat is raised, processed and prepared, the public has shown greater interest 22 in whether and how sentient animals are treated and the extent to which respect towards 1 23 animals are reflected in different human-animal situations. Elevated concern exists about 24 the environments in which food animals are raised and maintained, the quality of their 25 lives (including how animals are handled and managed), and the ways in which they are 26 terminated. The latter half of the 20th century and the first two decades of the 21st have 27 seen the proliferation of the scientific study of animal welfare to meet public concerns 28 regarding the ethical treatment of, especially, animals raised and slaughtered for food and 29 those used in biomedical research (Fraser, 2008). Attention to questions about the moral 30 status of animals has meant that veterinarians and others have had to demonstrate to the 31 public due diligence in their professional roles. Approximately 10-15% of veterinarians 32 are involved in promoting the health and welfare of animals that will eventually become 33 food (AVMA, 2008). 34 The POHS has endeavored to identify and apply the best research and empirical 35 information available to the humane slaughter of the different species of animals 36 considered in this document. To date, mechanical/physical, electrical and controlled 37 atmosphere/gas methods are employed to bring about physical disruption, hypoxia, or 38 neuronal depression in animals meant for slaughter. Social discussions regarding the 39 ethical care of animals will influence future recommendations. The AVMA encourages 40 its members to employ scientific knowledge and expertise to protect and promote animal 41 health and welfare in the service of animals and the public at large. 42 These Guidelines do not debate the use of animals nor do they delve into the 43 morality of killing animals for food or fiber. The POHS’ focus is on what should happen 44 to animals when slaughter is their ultimate fate. When animals are designated for 45 slaughter, they should be treated with respect and handled appropriately, and the 2 46 slaughter process should limit the harms experienced by these animals. Humane 47 slaughter methods and agents bring about the rapid loss of consciousness and the 48 complete loss of brain function in an animal designated primarily for the food system. 49 This means minimizing (and where possible eliminating) distress, pain, and anxiety 50 associated with the process of terminating the lives of the following species of animals: 51 hoof-stock (cattle, bison, horses/mules, sheep, goats, swine, deer, elk); poultry (chickens, 52 turkey, pheasants, ratites, geese, ducks); fish and rabbits. The ‘process of termination’ , 53 as defined here, encompasses the period from which a farmed animal designated for 54 human food consumption is off-loaded at a slaughter facility until it is verified to be 55 unconscious and ultimately dead and ready for the food chain. 56 While the POHS is motivated by both the ethics and the science of animal 57 welfare, members of the Panel are also sensitive to adjacent concerns and dimensions 58 related to the humane slaughter of animals. These considerations include public health 59 and safety, food safety and quality, environmental and economic sustainability, 60 production adequacy and sustainability, occupational health and impact on the labor 61 force, international animal welfare and trade standards, and religious and cultural aspects. 62 That said, this document is not primarily concerned with meat quality or food safety. The 63 primary responsibility of doing what is in the animal’s best interest under the 64 circumstances (i.e., using the most appropriate and painless slaughter method possible, 65 and considering the context of animal welfare in the United States), should not be 66 outweighed by meat quality or economic arguments. 67 In addition, these Guidelines do not address methods and techniques involved in the 68 termination of animals hunted for food (subsistence or otherwise) or animals raised for their 3 69 fur or hide. The Guidelines for euthanasia should be consulted if individual animals are 70 deemed inappropriate for the food chain. The Guideline for depopulation should be 71 consulted in the event that zoonotic disease, foreign animal diseases, or other diseases of 72 concern to population health is suspected. 73 Historical Context, Membership of the Panel and Notes on the Current 74 The 2012 POHS Guidelines includes a wide breadth and depth of expertise in the 75 affected species and environments in which humane slaughter is performed. These 76 Guidelines span over a year’s worth of deliberation by more than 15 individuals, including 77 veterinarians, animal scientists, and an animal ethicist. Members of the Panel received 78 invaluable input from AVMA members and others during a designated comment period. 79 The scientific integrity and the practical utility of these Guidelines are a direct result of 80 member input and suggestions from others concerned about animal welfare of food animals 81 and the slaughter context. 82 In these 2012 Guidelines, humane slaughter methods, techniques, and agents are 83 discussed. Illustrations, diagrams, tables, and related graphics have been included to assist 84 veterinarians in applying professional judgment. Species-specific information provide 85 detailed guidance for terrestrial and aquatic species that are farmed and slaughtered for food. 86 While some slaughter methods may be utilized in euthanasia and depopulation, 87 recommendations related to euthanasia and depopulation are addressed by either the POE 88 or POD Guidelines. The POHS Guidelines specify appropriate slaughter methods and 89 agents, and are intended to assist veterinarians in their exercise of professional judgment. 90 The POHS Guidelines acknowledge that the slaughter of food animals is a process 4 91 involving more than just what occurs to an animal at its death. Apart from delineating 92 appropriate methods and agents, these Guidelines also recognize the importance of 93 considering and applying appropriate pre-slaughter and animal handling practices. Thus, 94 these Guidelines offer information regarding the handling of animals before and during 95 humane slaughter because veterinary responsibilities associated with slaughter are not 96 limited to just the moment or procedure of killing an animal. Information about 97 confirmation of death has also been included. 98 Statement of Use 99 The POHS has designed these Guidelines for use by members of the veterinary 100 profession who carry out or oversee the humane slaughter of hoofstock, poultry, rabbits and 101 fish. The POHS’s objective in creating the Guidelines is to provide guidance for veterinarians 102 about how to prevent potential pain and distress of animals that have been designated for 103 slaughter in accordance with the Humane Methods of Livestock Slaughter Act (HMSA). 104 As stated above, these Guidelines do not address methods and techniques 105 involved in the termination of animals hunted for food (subsistence or otherwise) or 106 animals raised primarily for their fur or fiber. 107 Veterinarians experienced in the species of interest should be consulted when 108 choosing a method of humane slaughter, particularly when the HMSA does not currently 109 cover the species being used such as with poultry and fish. In order to limit potential 110 harm to animals and personnel involved in the slaughter process, slaughter methods and 111 agents should be selected with a view towards maintaining a calm animal. Species 112 specific anatomy, physiology, natural history, husbandry and behavior, may assist in 5 113 understanding how various methods and agents may impact an animal during the 114 slaughter process. 115 Veterinarians performing or overseeing humane slaughter should assess the 116 potential for species-specific distress secondary to physical discomfort, abnormal social 117 settings, novel physical surroundings, pheromones or odors from previously slaughtered 118 animals, the presence of humans, and other factors. Other considerations include human 119 safety, availability of trained personnel, potential infectious disease concerns, 120 conservation or other animal population objectives, regulatory oversight, availability of 121 proper equipment and facilities, options for carcass disposal, and the potential secondary 122 toxicity. Human safety is of utmost importance, and appropriate safety equipment, 123 protocols, and expertise must be available before animals are handled.