Management owns up to abattoir cruelty claims

An Israeli abattoir where cattle were being slaughtered with ‘‘wanton cruelty’’ is now under the control of an Australian veterinarian.

New hidden camera footage shot by Animals Australia in a major Israeli abattoir shows cattle having their tails crushed and being hoisted by one leg while still conscious before having their throats sawn.

The Dabbah family abattoir, Deir al Asad Israel, is accredited under Australia’s live export regulation system, known as ESCAS.

Animals Australia has lodged a complaint with the Department of Agriculture, saying the practices are in breach of domestic and international standards.

One of the facility’s Australian suppliers, Otway Livestock Exports, has sent its managing director and general livestock manager to the abattoir where they have been in charge of the plant’s processing for the past three days.

The company acknowledged the footage and its own investigation revealed a breakdown in management oversight at the abattoir.

Otway Livestock Exports said local management had accepted responsibility for what had happened, sacked a number of workers and agreed to install new equipment and CCTV cameras.

‘‘Senior members of the (Dabbah) family are acutely aware of their responsibility to the people of Israel and also to the significant numbers of Israeli and Australian livestock under their care,’’ Otway said.