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When handling their livestock, operators must ensure the welfare of their animals. Dr. Kurt D. Vogel, director of the Humane Handling Institute and associate professor–animal welfare and behavior in the Department of Animal and Food Science at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, discusses best practices and current issues related to humane handling.
Within the 62 enforcement actions, most were related to cattle (48.4%; 30 of 62), followed by swine (40.3%; 25 of 62), sheep (6.5%; four of 62), and goats (4.8%; three of 62).
During the escalation of the COVID-19 pandemic in the summer of 2020, the entire live-animal supply chain was disrupted as slaughter establishments dealt with internal virus outbreaks and resulting reductions in slaughter capacity.
Although Dr. Temple Grandin wrote the book on best animal welfare practices, much can still be learned to make slaughter and stunning practices more humane.
The University of Wisconsin-River Falls Animal Welfare Lab's summary of the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service's (FSIS) humane handling regulatory activity from 2018 identified ineffective stunning as the most common cause of suspension.