10/23/23 Dont Send Pets to Slaughterhouse!
Animal Friends Croatia send a memo to the Ministry of Agriculture over measures for containing African swine fever
- Isolation measures, not slaughterhouses to be a solution for pigs not intended for breeding
Following enquiries by the concerned public, Animal Friends Croatia sent a memo to the Minister of Agriculture, Marija Vučković, on the fate of pet pigs, as well as those which are not used in farming but are kept by certain eco-friendly estates and family farms. Subsequent to the Order on Control Measures for Containment of African Swine Flu, thousands of pigs have been preventatively killed in the Republic of Croatia. Expressing their deep sadness over all animals killed so far, the group stated that all pet pigs should be exempt from this measure, i.e., all those that are currently not used for breeding or intended for slaughter.
“Pigs kept as citizens’ or family farm pets do not reproduce, they are not used for further breeding, and they do not go to a slaughterhouse but are permanently living with their carers as is the case with pet cats and dogs. It is absurd to send a family’s pet to a slaughterhouse. We believe the same control measures that are applied to dogs should be applied to them, such as isolation, compulsory microchipping, and registration in the Lycasan pet register,” proposed Animal Friends Croatia.
They explain that those animals, just like cats and dogs, are not intended for slaughter, and estates and farms where they are kept do not sell them or trade with them as breeding or slaughter animals. Therefore, it is illogical and, speaking from the veterinary point of view, unjustified, for the Order to apply to them.
They also emphasise the importance of regulating the status of domestic animals which are not pets: “It is a fact that the number of pet pigs is on the increase and their status should be resolved permanently. There are pigs and other domestic animals kept as pets, and there are domestic animals which have been permanently placed in shelters. In their case, the state should prescribe different measures concerning infectious diseases and create a register for them.”
Animal Friends Croatia also explain that, although different measures are needed for pigs outside the breeding system, everyday slaughtering of pigs for human consumption is just as tragic. Intensive animal breeding for food is linked to spreading illnesses and diseases.
“The simplest and most humane solution to fighting animal infectious diseases and zoonoses is choosing vegan and a more ethical, environmentally friendly and sustainable lifestyle,” conclude Animal Friends Croatia.
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