New Humane Slaughter Guidelines Released

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has published its first-ever set of guidelines for the humane slaughter of mammals and birds. In it, the AVMA addresses several recommendations offered by AWI, including those questioning the humaneness of low-voltage electrical stunning of poultry. The guidelines acknowledge that “it is unclear whether birds truly reach a state of unconsciousness,” reinforcing AWI’s concern that electrical stunning, as practiced in the United States, merely paralyzes birds and does not render them insensible to pain.