The abuse footage was covertly filmed at a Tahmoor abattoir run by Inghams. The company confirmed that it had sacked five employees involved in animal abuse.
“Inghams does not tolerate the mistreatment of our livestock,” company CEO Kevin McBain said “A full investigation of the incident at Tahmoor processing plant is ongoing.”
One veterinarian told ABC’s Lateline that the footage, which shows turkeys being bashed, kicked and stomped was “among the worst [cases of animal cruelty] I’ve ever seen.”
The Age reports that Inghams company have agreed to install CCTV cameras in the “live bird handling areas” of its abattoirs to prevent future abuse, after demands from animal rights groups.
The footage was released by animal rights group Animal Liberation after it was passed to them anonymously last week.
Spokeswoman Emma Hurst said she had identified in the footage 136 instances of animal cruelty and aggravated animal cruelty – which is classified as cruelty that was so bad it led to the animal’s death, or injuries so severe it would be cruel to keep the animal alive.
“You can see a total disrespect of these animals. There are scenes where they’ve put the music up very, very loud, the workers are screaming, jumping about, dancing, picking up the turkeys, dancing while holding onto the turkeys, throwing them onto the shackles, and just that whole mentality as though these animals don’t have feelings, that they’re objects.”
Ms Hurst said the footage had been handed to the NSW Police Assistant Commissioner for Rural Crime, and to rural crime detectives in Campsie.
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