Compassion in World Farming has revealed appalling slaughter conditions for animals at Beirut’s biggest abattoir, which supplies a third of meat in the Lebanese capital.

Please be warned that the following account makes for distressing reading.

Compassion witnessed animals being subjected to brutal slaughter conditions. Animals were being picked up and slammed onto their backs on the concrete floor, where they were held down as their throats were cut while they were fully conscious.

Sheep were dragged by one hind leg to a line where they are slaughtered alongside others that were thrashing around in blood and faeces.

The EU exports tens of thousands of live sheep and cattle to Lebanon every year and it is likely that many will face the same horrific slaughter conditions.

French lambs were among those in the Karantina slaughterhouse who were subjected to treatment which contravenes the guidelines of the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health).

Compassion’s CEO, Philip Lymbery, says:

These appalling scenes of inept slaughter are shocking. These animals are subjected to terrible suffering at the most vulnerable moment of their lives, just before slaughter.

Compassion is calling for the temporary closure of the public slaughterhouse for a complete refurbishment of the facility and retraining for all the workers.

Over 30,000 people have sent an e-mail to the Lebanese Agriculture Minister calling for an immediate shut-down of the slaughter house.

Help shut down Beirut Public Slaughterhouse.

Appalling slaughter in Beirut abattoir