Shocking video of calf inside abattoir released by Animal Rights Queensland
THE operator of an abattoir besieged by animal rights activists says a calf in a video purporting to show cruelty was already dead. GRAPHIC VIDEO
QLD News
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THE owner of Highchester Meats has rejected claims a shocking video shows a worker being cruel to a calf.
The Queensland Times reports co-owner and director of Highchester Meats says the footage circulated by Animal Liberation Queensland, which shows a man using his foot to restrain a kicking calf, may look like cruelty to the untrained eye — but the calf was already dead.
About 4am today a group of 24 activists gained access to the Highchester abattoir at Gleneagle in the Scenic Rim and staged a demonstration including raising a banner on the facility’s roof.
Police were called to negotiated with the protesters who left the property peacefully at 9am.
The activists’ message was bolstered by video from inside the abattoir, obtained without the company’s knowledge.
Animal Liberation Queensland president Chay Neal said the video was “disgraceful”.
The graphic video, part of the Ditch Dairy campaign, shows the worker pressing his boot on the calf as it wriggles wildly before stringing it up by one foot.
Brian Surawski said despite appearances, the calf was already dead when the worker shown in the video pushed his boot into the animal.
The calves come from a nearby dairy.
Mr Surawski said the calf’s movements were involuntary, caused by ongoing messages sent through the nervous system after a bolt had gone through the back of the beast’s head, as per regulation.
Highchester Meats Pty Ltd is a family owned, small abattoir which kills about 1000 animals a week including about 25 dairy calves, and employs 28 people.
The owners will wear the “considerable cost” of this morning’s demonstration which lasted about four hours.
“Unfortunately, this morning about 3.55am, 24 intruders gained unauthorised access to the premises,” Mr Surawski said.
“I’m disappointed they didn’t just come and have a chat to us.
“We are not into animal cruelty here.
“It does no good for anyone for animals to be stressed when they die. That downgrades the meat quality, so we make sure 100% of our stock is stress-free.”
Mr Surawski said his team was still reviewing the evidence, but if retraining was required, that would be carried out. “I can’t end the dairy industry because I am only one of the players in it,” Mr Surawski said.
“What would happen if we didn’t kill those calves? They would still be killed on farms and it would be a waste of a resource.”
Mr Neal said Animal Liberation Queensland would make a complaint and forward the footage to the police.
No charges were laid against the activists.
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