Pet-food dealers deny breaches

Press, 7 August 1976, Page 4

Pet-food dealers deny breaches

Pet-meat dealers in Christchurch are angry because the Ministry of Agriculture insists that they slaughter animals only in approved abattoirs. A spokesman for three of the four dealers in Christchurch said yesterday that it was “another case of the powers that be making more and more stupid rules and laws.” He said the fourth dealer, who owned the only approved abattoir in Christchurch charged too much for slaughtering animals. He said that compliance with the Ministry’s regulations would be unprofitable for the other dealers. ■

Mr H. A. G. Meikle, the ministry’s regional meat veterinarian, said in a report in “The Press” yesterday, that it was quite obvious from the number of complaints being received, that some persons Involved in the production of pet food were “constantly and deliberately” contravening the regulations. The dealers’ spokesman said that they had never been told of these complaints. He said that veterinarians who treated sick animals tola the dealers if the animal had any contagious disease. If it did, the animal was killed and buried, he said. The spokesman said it was inhumane to insist upon slaughtering only in an abattoir. He said that if an animal broke a leg in the week-end or at night it could not be killed until the abattoir opened. .He said the animals were killed cleanly and humanely in the fields and that a horse would “go berserk” at the sight and smell of an abattoir.