How welfare at slaughter is monitored, what the evidence shows about current failures, and what better practices look like.
The final hours of a farmed animal's life — transport, lairage, handling, and slaughter — are among the highest-risk periods for welfare failure. Despite legal requirements for effective stunning and humane handling, independent audits and hidden camera investigations have repeatedly documented problems including rough handling, ineffective stunning, and failure of kill confirmation. Mandatory CCTV and independent veterinary oversight have improved the situation in countries where they are required, but gaps remain. The welfare at this critical moment matters as much morally as welfare throughout life, and the industry must be held to high standards at every stage including the last.