More than 80,000 people have signed a petition to shut down a slaughterhouse in Essex.

The petition, which is addressed to local MP Giles Francis Watling, states that “multiple laws” have been broken at the slaughterhouse, called C.J. Byford & Son.

It notes that cows were “bellowing for their lives” at the small, family-run facility, where the owner was “intentionally hurting” them by using incorrect stunning procedures.

The petition urges people to apply pressure on the government by adding their signatures. 

Local meat

Vegan activist Joey Carbstrong recently called out the same slaughterhouse in an op-ed for Plant Based News.

He described an investigation into the facility, stating that cows were “terrified” and the owner was swearing and threatening them. He added that the footage proves that meat bought from “local farms” is no more ethical than any other meat on the supermarket shelf.

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“You may often hear people say, ‘I only buy meat from my local butcher, and the animals are from local farms,’” writes Carbstrong. 

“Well, the animals who were killed at C.J. Byford & Son were from the surrounding local farms. And, the business supplied only to local butchers, not supermarkets. This place was about as local and family-run as you can get.”

Cruelty at slaughterhouses

This is far from the first investigation to uncover abuse at slaughterhouses. But these facilities don’t just hurt animals, they harm people too.

Last year, Jack Hancock-Fairs, who is a vegan advocate and the son of a slaughterhouse worker, announced a documentary called The Dying Trade. The film shines a light on human and animal suffering in slaughterhouses.

He said at the time: “The suffering experienced within slaughterhouses is huge in scale and clearly neglected.”

“I really hope this film can open people’s eyes to the animal cruelty and poor worker treatment that exists within the walls of slaughterhouses all over the world. By raising awareness about these issues, we can help lay the groundwork for future progress.”