Closed petition Demand an end to Halal and Kosher slaughter in the UK

Closed on 23 January 2016

There is no place in a civilised country for the barbaric practices of Halal and Kosher slaughter. Our animals spend their short lives with no compassion in intensive farming only to have the unnecessary cruelty of slaughter without pre-stunning. Consider the welfare and suffering of our animals.

Vets say unstunned cattle take about 20 seconds (but up to 2 minutes) to lose consciousness, sheep six or seven seconds (but up to 20) and poultry seven or eight seconds, but all these times can be far longer. The RSPCA and British Veterinary Association are among the groups calling for an end to slaughter without pre-stunning – a move that would mean an end to religious exemptions from European and UK legislation on this element of slaughtering, and also, say campaigners, an end to unnecessary suffering.