The Verbist slaughterhouse in Izegem, Belgium was shut down by animal welfare minster Ben Weyts on Tuesday after video footage was released showing brutal abuse against cattle. The video was captured by the animal welfare group Animal Rights, who operate in both the Netherlands and Belgium.
The footage reveals haunting violations, including cattle being suspended and having their throats cut while conscious, being slaughtered in front of other, live cattle, causing panic and fear amongst them, and improper and illegal stunning methods. The slaughterhouse also failed to meet infrastructure standards.

Animal Rights
Weyts stated that the inspection services are clearly faulty, as they focus far more on food safety rather than animal welfare. He is considering having his ministry take over the inspections within the region.
This event occurred just six months following the shutdown of a neighboring slaughterhouse in Tielt. In a similar situation, the illegal and inhumane actions of the Debra-Group slaughterhouse in Tielt towards pigs were captured on video by Animal Rights. Once released, Ben Weyts called for the immediate cessation of the Debra-Group operation, and it is now under constant video surveillance.

Animal Rights
“Following Tielt, I signed a covenant with the sector that raised the bar for animal welfare standards,” Weyts said. “However, I see that inspections have not followed through with that.”
Thanks to the efforts of Animal Rights and minister Weyts, there will be a crackdown on slaughterhouses in Belgium to put an end to the unnecessary abuse suffered by the animals. While slaughter is never truly humane, this is a step in the right direction for animal welfare.
“Mistreatment of animals is quickly forgiven and forgotten when economic interests are involved,” said chairman of Animal Rights Nadine Lucas. “To recognize animals in legislation as living, sentient beings is an absolute necessity for their welfare and protection to be taken seriously.”

Great news…CCTV should be installed in all abattoir’s….transparency is the only way to protect against abuse in this industry
One more reason to stop eating that steroid-pumped, texasshole excrement worldwide!
Stupid asshole humans should have been stopped sooner
Stop about this terrible way to keep the animals
Thank God for people like Minister Weyts. Keep up the good work.
Cruelty must not be allowed to continue.
O hate people that murder animals. These people need shooting for what they’ve put the animals through.
THANK YOU a million times to those who rescued these animals from sadistic suffering & abuse — humans do NOT have the right to abuse & persecute animals — it’s bad enough these animals are being slaughtered for consumption BUT to sadistically harass them 24 hrs a day from Day #1 to their horrific ends is beyond reason, beyond rationality, beyond compassion — animals are living, sentient beings — the employers & employees who, with depraved indifference, sadistically torture these animals MUST be stopped — AND, by the way, these idiot-monster-criminals MUST undergo psyche evaluations before being released — NOTE: with laws on the books, these imbeciles can be thrown into prison for a lengthy period — thus, horrific crimes against animals will NOT be repeated.
THANK YOU GOVERNMENT TO REALIZE YOUR SUPPORT OF HUMANE TREATMENT, IN PART EXPECTED OF EMPLOYEES IS BEING ENACTED.
THANK YOU
THE GALARNEAU FAMILY
Well it’s about time this needs to be carried out through out all the countries. Don’t understand why it takes so long for these places to be inspected. This should be done on a regular basis. Finally someone out their is looking out for the animals in the government sector it’s about time. These cattle don’t need to endure unnecessary cruel abuse besides what they have to go through in the end. Glad someone is taking notice and standing up. Such good news.
The reason I became a vegan. I wish more people would try it. It’s much easier than I thought it would be and now I have a clear conscience when I read these horrific stories. RIP, all of you precious babies.
Nothing is more inhuman then HUMANS,,,,,,,,, Same shuld be one to them
Thank God for the surveillance of these slaughterhouses where in human people are causing unnecessary suffering to live and conscious animals. I hope the companies running them suffer much financial loss for their actions in ignoring the cruel and illegal practice by their employees.
A good job too.The slaughtermen and the company owners should be brought justice for their crimes.
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So disturbing and inhumane. I’m glad their shut down and have video surveillance. This is why I’ve been vegetarian since I was a kid.
DIEREN hebben de zelfde PIJN-GRENS ???????????????????????? dan MENSEN ! HET ZIJN EVEN GEVOELIGE WEZENS DAN ” WIJ ! MENSEN ”
ZO LANG MEN ZO MET DIEREN HANDELD ! ???????????? ZAL MEN DIT OOK MET MENSEN ! BLIJVEN DOEN ???????????????? EN DAT ????
DOET ! MEN ! DUS ! OOK ???????????? ZELFS MET KINDEREN EN BABY’S ” W A L G E L I J K ”
REGERINGEN. EN. ALLEN. DIE. DE. MACHTHEBBERS. ZIJN ! ! ! ???????????????????????????? DOE ER EINDELIJK IETS AAN ! ! !
JULLIE KUNNEN IETS TEN GOEDE VERANDEREN ! IS OOK JULLIE TAAK ! EN JULLIE ZIJN ER ZEER RUIMSCHOOTS VOOR BETAALD ????????
EN IN DE BLOEMENTJES GEZET ! ! ! EN WEES GERUST ! OOK WIJ ! DE ZOGEZEGDE SIMPELE GEWONE MENSEN ????????
DOEN AL WAT WE KUNNEN ! MAAR HELAAS NAAR ONS ” HOORT ” MEN NIET ! ! ! Onbelangrijk-PLEPS ! ! ! NOCHTANS HEBBEN ” WIJ ”
HET MEESTE DAGDAGELIJKSTE. ERVARING. ! VOORAL MET NIET TEVEEL ! ZOALS JULLIE ! WERELDWIJD TE WEINIG ! DROEVIG ????????????
Looks like USA. We need to do more here as well. Those poor innocents.
I live for the day when they are ALL shut down, in every country.
DITTO, CINDI SCHOLEFIELD
All factory farm buildings should have 24/7 cameras on. They are putting food through to go to customers. And if the customer knew what torture, trauma, and inhumane treatment was done they would think twice. All of the factory farm petitions have employees that take out their worst aggression, on the chained animals, or caged without any defense for them. Cowards who hurt the helpless. I wonder what else they hurt!
That’s great news!!
Too many people eating too much meat!! This leads to excessively fast processing, destroys the souls of the humans that do it and commits atrocities against living feeling beings. What a disgrace these humans. Thank you minister Weyts!! You are the BEST!!!!
Wonderful news!!! I wish ALL of them would shut down.
Me too Carl..but sadly people will never allow that to happen.
Thank goodness!!