Policy and Law

Welfare of Animals in Religious Sacrifice

Religious animal sacrifice practices occur globally, involving millions of animals annually in traditions including Eid al-Adha, Gadhimai, and various Indigenous practices, raising welfare questions that intersect with religious freedom.

Key Facts

An estimated 5 million animals are sacrificed during Eid al-Adha globally each year
The Gadhimai festival in Nepal historically sacrificed 200,000+ animals every five years until reforms in 2015
Many religious traditions have accepted pre-slaughter stunning as compatible with religious requirements
Animal welfare improvements in religious slaughter have come primarily through dialogue rather than prohibition
Some Islamic and Jewish scholars have ruled that stunning is permissible if the animal is alive at slaughter

Welfare Considerations

Religious sacrifice welfare debates require cultural sensitivity. Prohibition of religious practices is both legally fraught and often counterproductive — welfare organizations working through dialogue and religious scholarship have achieved more change than legal restrictions. Encouraging adoption of stunning, improved handling, and trained slaughterers within existing religious frameworks has produced meaningful welfare improvements in communities willing to engage.

What You Can Do

Support interfaith dialogue organizations working on humane religious slaughter standards
Donate to HSI programs working with religious communities on welfare improvements
Engage respectfully with religious leaders about animal welfare within your faith tradition
Advocate for animal welfare standards in religious slaughter that preserve religious accommodation while reducing suffering