Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council

Guidance

• This Guidance relates to the welfare aspects of transporting casualty farm animals (cattle, sheep, goats and pigs). It is not intended to relate to other species such as poultry, deer and horses, to which different considerations apply. This Guidance takes into account changes to the legislation introduced by the Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or killing) Regulations 1995 and the Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order 1997. While the Guidance is intended to be as helpful as possible, it does not give a definitive interpretation of the law; that is a matter for the Courts.
• Although the term 'casualty animal' is widely used in the livestock industry, the law regarding casualty animals uses the term 'unfit'. Casualty' is used in the Guidance to describe animals which are suffering from disease or injury, where the decision has been taken to slaughter them. The decision which faces farmers, hauliers and veterinary surgeons is whether to send them to a slaughterhouse or to slaughter them on the farm, and this Guidance has been prepared to help them reach the correct decision.
• The advice given in relation to transporting casualty animals may also be appropriate for animals which are infirm, fatigued, newborn, heavily pregnant or which have recently given birth, and those with physical defects.

General Principles

• An unfit animal may only be transported if it is being taken for veterinary treatment or if it is being taken to the nearest available place of slaughter.
• The welfare of a casualty animal must be the most important consideration when deciding whether or not it should be transported. Casualty animals require very special care and consideration, and every effort must be made to prevent them suffering. If there is any doubt about the best course of action, the owner of a casualty animal is advised to consult a veterinary surgeon. Arrangements for dealing with casualty animals should also be discussed with the official veterinary surgeon at the slaughterhouse.
• If an animal is in severe pain, and that pain is uncontrollable, then the animal should be slaughtered without delay and salvage should not be a consideration.(In such cases a veterinary surgeon should be consulted immediately if possible).
• If a casualty animal does not need to be slaughtered immediately but it cannot be transported without causing unnecessary suffering, it should be slaughtered humanely on the farm. A veterinary inspection prior to slaughter will indicate if the animal is likely to be fit for human consumption, and the carcase may be sent to a slaughterhouse provided that the legal requirements are observed.
• If a casualty animal is to be transported to a slaughterhouse it must be capable of being transported without causing unnecessary suffering. A veterinary inspection is not required by law for such a journey, but the farmer must complete a declaration before the animal begins the journey. This declaration must give the details of the illness / injury and any veterinary diagnosis to establish whether the animal is likely to be fit for human consumption. This declaration must accompany the animal to the slaughterhouse where the animal will be inspected to confirm that it was suitable for transportation.                  

Advice to the Farmer

What do you do if you have an animal in pain or distress?

• If an animal is in severe pain, and that pain is uncontrollable, then the animal should be humanely slaughtered as soon as possible.    
• It is not illegal to slaughter an animal to prevent further severe suffering if a method of humane slaughter is available on the premises and there is someone competent to undertake the task, although it is preferable to have a veterinary surgeon or knackerman destroy the animal. You must be guided by the animal's best interests.                   

What to do if the animal does not require immediate slaughter

• You must decide if the animal should be transported from the farm, or slaughtered where it is. When making this decision, you must ask yourself two questions:                        

1. Is the animal likely to be fit for human consumption?	NO	Do not transport animal - slaughter and dispose of carcase.
2. Is the animal fit to be transported?	NO	Do not transport animal - investigate sending carcase to slaughterhouse
Make arrangements with slaughterhouse and haulier. Ask vet for advice if necessary.

Guidance on answering each question is given below.   

Is the animal likely to be fit for human consumption?

• You may consider that the animal is fit for human consumption. It is not necessary to have a veterinary certificate to send a live casualty animal to a slaughterhouse; the owner or person in charge must sign the declaration which must accompany a casualty animal to the slaughterhouse. The final decision on whether the animal should be slaughtered for human consumption will be taken by the veterinary surgeon inspecting the animal at the slaughterhouse. 
• If an animal has been given medication recently a set time (the withdrawal period) may have to elapse before the animal can be slaughtered for human consumption. Your declaration must show all medication given to an animal in the preceding 28 days. Ask your veterinary surgeon for advice on this subject if the situation arises. Animals must not be kept alive until the withdrawal period has elapsed if this will cause them unnecessary suffering.                        

Is the animal fit to be transported?

• The law specifically allows unfit cattle, sheep, goats and pigs to be transported to a slaughterhouse if the animal is not likely to be subjected to unnecessary suffering by reason of its unfitness. It is not possible to list all the conditions, and degrees of conditions, which could lead to unnecessary suffering. If you have any doubts, you should seek the advice of a veterinary surgeon. The key issue when deciding if an animal is to be sent to the slaughterhouse is whether the animal can be transported without being subjected to unnecessary pain or distress.
• The questions which you should ask yourself when making the decision whether to transport the animal should include:
  • Can the animal be loaded without using force?
  • Can the animal bear weight on all four legs and, if it is likely to stand during the journey, can it do so without pain or distress?
  • What is the duration of the journey? What is the nature of the road over which the animal will be transported?
  • Is the animal's condition going to deteriorate significantly over the time it takes to reach the slaughterhouse?
  • Is there a slaughterhouse near enough which will accept the animal? (You should send the animal to the nearest available place of slaughter).
  • Is there a suitable vehicle and driver available? Can the animal be looked after satisfactorily during the journey ?
  • Can suitable padding or bedding be provided?
• If any of these questions raise doubts about whether the animal can be transported without unnecessary suffering, then you should have the animal slaughtered on the farm.

Other Issues to Consider

• You should seek the advice of your veterinary surgeon, or the veterinarian at the slaughterhouse, if you are not confident of making the correct decision alone. For some injuries, the species of the animal will affect its ability to travel without distress or pain. Tranquillisers or pain killers must never be used when transporting animals to the slaughterhouse.
• Remember that it is an offence to 'cause or permit' an animal to be transported in a way which causes or is likely to cause injury or unnecessary suffering to the animal. You are therefore responsible for ensuring that the animal is treated in accordance with the law even if the animal is purchased by a haulier who takes it from the farm. You should tell the haulier about the condition of the animal, and have a legal responsibility to discover where, and under what conditions, the animal is being transported. If transportation is likely to cause unnecessary suffering then you should not permit the haulier to transport the animal.   
• If you arrange transportation of the animal yourself, you should talk to someone in authority at the slaughterhouse (if possible the Official Veterinary Surgeon) and prepare them for the arrival of a casualty animal.
• If you use your own vehicle to transport casualty animals, please refer to the Advice to Hauliers’ section. An animal may be lifted manually into a vehicle if you do not have a ramp available, but this should only be done if the animal can be lifted easily by two people. It is illegal to lift an unfit animal by mechanical means if it is being taken for slaughter.
• Remember that casualty animals transported to the slaughterhouse will be inspected upon arrival, and any problems will be communicated to the local authority animal health and welfare inspectors and the Divisional Veterinary Manager.                  

If you have any doubts about transporting the animal, you should arrange to have it slaughtered on the farm.

Advice to the Haulier

• Many businesses provide an important service to farmers by offering to collect casualty animals. In the past, however, the transport of casualty animals has led to some welfare abuses, partly because of a wide interpretation of the legal provision which allowed a road vehicle to be used as an ambulance in an emergency. This ambulance' provision has now been removed from the legislation. Under The Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order 1997 you are prohibited from transporting any animal in a way which causes or is likely to cause it unnecessary suffering. You may only transport an unfit animal for veterinary treatment or for slaughter. It is illegal to drag or push, or lift by a mechanical device, any unfit animal which is being transported for slaughter.    
• When you take charge of any animals, you have a responsibility in law for their welfare. The emphasis must be on handling and transporting animals in a humane way. This applies in all cases, but extra care will always be needed in dealing with casualty animals.    
• Vehicles used to transport casualty animals should be properly prepared and equipped for the job and comply with the legislation on transport of animals, particularly in relation to cleaning, ventilation, penning and the use of partitions.    
• The driver should be fully aware of his or her responsibilities for the welfare of the animal. Animals may only be entrusted to persons who possess the knowledge necessary to administer appropriate care during loading, unloading and transport.    
• It is strongly recommended that the arrangements for transporting a casualty animal be discussed with the farmer before you supply the vehicle. You should ensure that suitable provisions for penning or bedding the animal are available. If the animal is to be transported for slaughter, ensure that arrangements have been made at the destination to receive it.    
• Before an animal is loaded for a journey to a slaughterhouse, you are strongly recommended to ask to see the owner's declaration which must accompany the casualty animal to a slaughterhouse. The slaughterhouse operator will require the owner's declaration as it is an offence to admit a casualty animal into a slaughterhouse without such a declaration (unless the animal is injured during the journey). You should also discuss with the farmer what special conditions, including any specified by the veterinary surgeon, are needed to safeguard the welfare of the animal during loading and transport.    
• Any animal which cannot bear any weight on one or more limbs (for instance due to a fracture, dislocation or other severe injury) should not be transported. An animal should not be forced up the ramp. Where an animal is incapable of rising, it should not be moved without consulting a veterinary surgeon.  
• For transporting a casualty animal it will normally be necessary to prepare a deep bed of straw or other suitable material on the vehicle, and care should be taken to protect it from banging against the sides of the lorry or partitions during the journey. In the vehicle, a casualty animal should be separated from other animals, unless to do so would cause distress.    
• The vehicle should be driven with great care because it is difficult even for fit and healthy animals to cope with sudden movements of the vehicle caused by abrupt changes in speed and direction.    
• Remember that you have a legal obligation to refuse to carry a casualty animal unless you are satisfied that the animal can be transported without unnecessary suffering.                       

Slaughtering Animals of the Farm

• If the decision is taken that the animal cannot be transported without unnecessary suffering, then it must be humanely slaughtered on the farm. The carcase may be sent to a slaughterhouse as long as the conditions specified in The Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1995, Regulation 18 are adhered to. This requires a veterinary surgeon to inspect the animal prior to slaughter and complete a certificate (given in Schedule 19 of the Regulations, which, amongst other points states that the animal is, in the veterinary surgeon's opinion, fit for human consumption). The veterinary surgeon must also certify that the animal has been bled in an 'approved manner'. The carcase must arrive at the slaughterhouse within the time limits given in Regulation 18.
• There is no single 'approved manner' of bleeding an animal. Animals are bled out after stunning to ensure that they die from loss of blood before there is a chance of them regaining consciousness. The points listed below should be borne in mind by the veterinary surgeon when deciding whether he or she can clearly certify that bleeding was carried out in an 'approved manner'.                  

(i) In order to avoid any risk of the animal regaining consciousness, sticking should follow stunning without delay.
(ii) The skin at the point where the animal is stuck should be clean.
(iii) The major blood vessels should be cut with a clean knife.
(iv) The act of sticking the animal should produce an immediate and copious flow of blood.
(v) Reasonable and sufficient precautions should be taken to protect the sticking wound from risk of contamination during and after bleeding out.

• The bled carcase must be accompanied by the veterinary surgeon's certificate to the slaughterhouse.                       

Schedule 18 Regulation 17 (2) (a) Model declaration to accompany an animal for slaughter known or suspected to be diseased or injured.

• Schedule 18