No sick jokes about Tesco etc please...this is so not funny

Two slaughtermen have been sacked after an undercover investigation exposed shocking cruelty to horses at an abattoir.
The disturbing video shows them being beaten with metal poles and illegally stunned in groups of up to three at a time before being killed.
In one horrifying moment a stunned horse appears to regain consciousness, only to find itself hanging upside down and about to have its throat cut.
The footage was captured at the Red Lion Abattoir, near Nantwich, Cheshire, after an eight-week investigation by animal welfare group Hillside.
They also saw horses which appeared to be sick or injured and hadn't been immediately put down.
Founder Wendy Valentine, 63, told MailOnline: 'We have rescued around 700 horses and we were concerned about where we were saving them from.'
'It's unbelievably depressing there. They shouldn't be stunned or shot in front of each other like that.
'It's total disrespect for animal welfare.'
The scandal emerged as several British supermarkets have been exposed as selling frozen beef burgers which contain horse meat.
The alert was first raised by Irish food watchdogs after horse DNA was found in burgers sold through Tesco, Iceland, Aldi, Lidl and Dunnes in Ireland.
It subsequently emerged that burgers from the same batches were sold in the British outlets of both Tesco and Iceland.
Incredibly, the beef content in one Everyday Value burger sold by Tesco was actually 29 per cent horse meat.
The horses at the Red Lion Abattoir are believed to be butchered for European food markets.
Under the Welfare of Animals Act 1995, horses cannot be slaughtered in sight of another horse as it causes severe distress to the animal.
The footage, which has been uploaded to YouTube, shows three horses crammed into a tiny pen before being stunned.
The Food Standards Agency told the Daily Mirror it has revoked the licences of two slaughtermen after a probe into the video.
FSA head of approvals Craig Kirby said: 'As soon as we got the footage and reviewed it we took immediate action to revoke the slaughtermen's licences.
'We will also look to gather further evidence to see if we can prosecute.'
The Red Lion Abattoir told Sky News it views animal welfare and public health with paramount importance.
In a statement it said: 'In attendance at the The Red Lion Abattoir are three full time Food Standards Officers comprising of an official veterinarian and full-time meat hygiene inspectors throughout production.'
It said the incidents were 'not the norm, but of an isolated nature' and they have taken disciplinary action against the individual featured.
The statement continued: 'I agree horses should individually enter the stunning area and most certainly not three at a time.
'However, small horses and ponies having spent years together as companions are difficult to separate. Horse lovers would understand that.
'My opinion and that of other veterinarians is it is better to keep those types together to reduce the stress, providing swift dispatch is achieved.'
An RSPCA spokesperson said the organisation is viewing the footage and will decide whether to prosecute.
In a statement it said: 'The footage is shocking and upsetting to watch. With the Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995 in mind, we have concerns that horses appear to be in the stunning pen at the same time rather than individually as the law requires.
'We also have concerns about some of the animals that appear to be injured. We have requested a copy of the unedited footage with a view to investigating.'
Former government chief veterinary officer Keith Meldrum, who viewed the footage, has told Sky News he was shocked by the 'appalling' breaches of animal welfare.
'We see three animals stunned at the same time and it is totally illegal and contrary to welfare slaughter regulations,' he said.
'It's a significant welfare problem for a number of reasons. It's harder to render them unconscious in a group and they have a higher chance of regaining consciousness before you've completed the procedure.'
Roly Owers, chief executive of World Horse Welfare, said: 'The breaches, from what we've seen, are throughout; from the care of the animals to the slaughter process.
'Horses are intelligent animals. When they see an animal stunned in front of them you can only imagine the distress that animal is going through. There are, without doubt, welfare issues here and it is plain illegal.'
DON'T click link if you don't want to see..
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ttoir-Hillside-animal-welfare-group.html

please sign and share the petition...Thank you xx

http://e-activist.com/ea-action/act...18423&en_chan=fb&en_ref=14682536

Done Tilly. Thanks

Very distresing to read that article. Heart breaking, when we understand how intelligent our horses are, although I believe the same applies to many of our dumb creatures.

Have signed and posted on face book.thank-you for posting.it is too awful to think about.

Truly shocking, petition signed, thanks for posting it.

Petition signed. I read about this earlier today, so upsetting those poor horses. I couldn't bring myself to watch the clip. Thanks for posting and starting the petition.

petition signed, couldnt watch the video, but behind you all the way with the petition,

petition signed. could not watch video.Thank you for posting the petition on Wiki

Is this f*cking serious?? As if its not bad enough that innocent horses are being slaughtered, but those that have been companions for years are also being sent to an abattoir once they're deemed to be of no use anymore. Absolutely sick. How dare you call yourself a horse lover if you could do this to any horse, let alone one that has lived together peacefully with its companion for years. How anybody could want to send such a gentle animal to its death in a place like this is just criminal. This is so upsetting and makes me so angry.
I wonder if the staff who work at this slaughterhouse have any pets. I doubt anybody working in a place like this could love an animal and care for it, but if they did i wonder how they would feel to watch their pets treated like this while knowing death is coming for them.
Regardless of how they ended up here, at some point these poor horses and ponies have been beloved companions to people and animals alike. Just reminds me why i could never, ever sell my beautiful mare no matter what. You just never know where they'll end up

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/19/horse-abbatoir-investigated-abuse

Pure evil .

Thank you all so much for signing the petition.

Since I and Zelda have been working alongside the owner at Tallulah's Donkey and Horse Sanctuary, we have rescued several horses and ponies from the meat man at Beeston auctions. we where told by local horsey people that the 'meat man' doesnt exist at beeston and therefore buying the horses that where for sale for as little as £20 was not deemed as rescue...We all knew and have known for years that they do exist and they are all there in disguise as ordinary horse buyers. Tallulah the race horse is 6 years old and was already on a wagon destined for the meat market in amsterdam, Marion the owner bought her off him for a mere £100. All this new evidence very courageously captured by Hillside Animal sanctuary http://www.hillside.org.uk/ has enabled us to prove they do exist in this country and we will now help as many horses/ponies/donkey's as we possibly can. in fact Zelda rescued her own little pony recently from Beeston sales, his name is Blake, and he's a gorgeous boy xx thank you Zelda xxx Thanks again for your support. xx Karen xx

petition signed. unfortunately its probably not just these horses who get mistreated before death it happens with all the other meat we eat and we eat meat from different counties where theres different guidelines for abattoirs. i chose not to watch the video

The meat man very much exists and he's been going to beeston for years. I can't watch the auctions anymore its so obvious which one he is. Surely he should be banned when everyone knows what he's there for?

Is it illegal to buy horses here to sell on for meat where its legal to eat it? If it isnt, how could he be stopped?

I doubt this is an isolated incident, its evil practices are probably knitted into the culture of the slaughterhouse.

I rather think I want the balls ripped off the people below for starters.

'In attendance at the The Red Lion Abattoir are three full time Food Standards Officers comprising of an official veterinarian and full-time meat hygiene inspectors throughout production.'

I can't understand how any vet could work for such a place. I certainly wouldn't want them tending to any of my animals. They're supposed to help animals, not aid in slaughter

They eat horse in France among many other countries but if you think this is a one off you would be mistaken any factory where cheap animal produce is there will be abuse. Idiots payed a pittance. If you want to know for sure the animals have been cared for before being killed buy local from a good butchers