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Issue brief
 
Amendment to the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act
 
Full Title/Description:
To amend the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-448) to update the act to include all poultry slaughtered for commercial use under federal inspection
 
AVMA Position:
The AVMA is actively pursuing introduction and passage of this amendment.
 
Purpose of the Legislation
  • The Humane Methods of Slaughter insures that all federally inspected slaughter facilities adopt humane handling and slaughtering practices. The Act mandates humane slaughter for cows, pigs, sheep, and other livestock slaughtered at federally inspected facilities, but does not include birds, rabbits and other commercially slaughtered species.
  • This amendment would update the act to include all poultry species slaughtered for commercial use under federal inspection including:
    • Chickens and Turkeys
 
Why AVMA Supports this Legislation
  • The AVMA supports governmental regulations pertaining to humane slaughter of all animals, including food animals, and supports research on improved practices for humane slaughter.
 
Known Opposition to the AVMA Position:
None identified
 
Current Legislative Status:
Language of the bill is being refined and finalized. AVMA is working to build support amongst stakeholders and identify potential sponsors. Please give the ramifications of this legislation your serious consideration.
 
For More Information:
Please contact Dr. Angela Demaree (ademaree@avma.org) at the AVMA-GRD at (800) 321-1473 ext. 3211, or Dr. Doug Meckes (dmeckes@avma.org ) (800) 321-1473 ext. 3210.
 
Related Materials
AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia (PDF)
 
Offsite resources:
Humane Methods of Slaughter Act
 

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