CRIMES WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES - gpvec

state humane slaughter laWs
Indiana 200 and Michigan 201 require that animals killed in accordance with requirements
of a religious faith be cut “immediately following total suspension from the floor.” New
Hampshire 202 and Pennsylvania 203 limit their exemption for religious slaughter until such
a time when acceptable alternatives are available. The language of the Pennsylvania ritual
slaughter exemption follows:
Section 2362(b) Ritual slaughter
Subsection (a) [requiring humane methods] shall not apply to the operator of a
commercial establishment with respect to the positioning and ritual slaughter of cows,
poultry and sheep until one year after the department finds and notifies the operator
that there is available at reasonable cost a ritually acceptable, practicable and humane
method of handling or otherwise preparing conscious calves, poultry and sheep for
slaughter.
7.4 Application
While the federal humane slaughter law covers only slaughter and slaughter and
processing establishments, several states apply their humane slaughter codes to stockyard
operations. 204 However, this application has little practical effect, as animals are not
typically slaughtered for food at stockyards.
Farmers killing animals for their personal use also are not covered under federal law. In
addition, although custom slaughterers are expected to comply with federal food safety
regulations, they are not routinely inspected for compliance. For the most part, state laws
do not provide much additional protection for animals killed for custom or personal use.
Exceptions include Oregon, Utah and Washington, which provide humane slaughter
coverage for custom slaughter; all three states also cover farm (mobile) custom slaughter
operations, which are not expected to comply with federal slaughter regulations. 205
A number of states specifically exempt custom and/or personal slaughter from coverage
under their general food inspection code, their humane slaughter code, or both. For
example, Pennsylvania’s humane slaughter statute does not apply to “a farmer or other
person slaughtering domestic animals owned by the farmer or person.” 206 Arizona law
states, “No person slaughtering or butchering any livestock for his own use shall be
subject to any of the provisions of this article.” 207 Maryland’s humane slaughter statute
does not apply to “a farmer while slaughtering livestock of the farmer.” 208
200 Section 15-2.1-24-13(c).
201 Section 287.554
202 Section 427:33(3)(b).
203 Section 2362(b).
204 States covering the slaughter of animals at stockyards include Arizona, Connecticut, Kansas, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.
205 Under Washington law (Section 16.50.110), “‘Slaughterer’ means any person engaged in the commercial or
custom slaughtering of livestock, including custom farm slaughterers.” Utah law includes humane slaughter
under “Duties of person who holds a farm custom slaughter permit” (Section 4-32-6).
206 Section 2362(c).
207 Section 3-2017B.
208 Section 4-123.1(c)(2).
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