New South Wales to Up Domestic Welfare Standards

Today, Australian state New South Wales is unveiling new animal-welfare standards for its slaughterhouses, after a February edition of national news program Lateline exposed shocking instances of the abuse of pigs and cows. The Lateline footage, captured at a facility close to Sydney, depicts multiple breaches of the country’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, prompting widespread outrage from both the public and government authorities. As a result, each slaughterhouse will now be required to hire a designated animal-welfare officer to oversee operations and ensure that workers are conducting themselves properly. However, some activists fear that the changes aren’t enough, particularly because hiring decisions will be made in-house. Instead, they are urging NSW officials to install closed-circuit cameras designed to provide constant surveillance.