Haass' Family Butcher Shop, Inc.: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2021 (USDA)

313.15(a)(1)

At approximately 0925 hours on Wednesday, August 4, 2021, while verifying HATS Category VIII, Stunning Effectiveness, IPP identified a humane handling non-compliance in which an employee required multiple attempts to render a sow unconscious. IPP observed as the sow walked through the alleyway and stopped upon approaching the inclined ramp leading to the knock box. Employees attempted several times to get the sow to move up the incline, but these attempts were unsuccessful. The employee who had been performing stunning for the day suggested that he could attempt to stun the sow using the hand-held captive bolt stunning device (HHCB) that is used for stunning cattle, but a second employee stated that the HHCB didn’t work on sows of this size. IPP observed as the first employee retrieved two (2) 0.25 caliber HHCB devices and attempted to stun the sow. The sow remained conscious, as was evident as it remained upright and alert. The first employee then approached the sow with a knife and was going to attempt to cut the neck of the sow (for bleeding purposes), but IPP told him to re-stun the sow. The employee then reloaded the HHCB and attempted a second stun. The second stun attempt was unsuccessful, as the sow remined upright and alert. As the employees had no additional equipment available to attempt to stun the sow, IPP stepped away to confer. At that time, the first employee attempted to cut the sow’s neck; however, the sow was in an awkward position and even though he was able to reach the neck, the employee was unable to make a full cut to the neck (i.e., the sow did not bleed out) and the sow remained conscious. Employees then retrieved a 20-gauge shotgun from another part of the establishment and attempted to stun the sow. The first shot with the 20-gauge shotgun (3rd stun attempt overall) successfully rendered the sow unconscious and she remained unconscious for the bleeding, shackling, and hoisting processes. IPP applied US Retain/Reject Tag #B28358765 to the knock box to prevent further slaughter of livestock. The IPP notified establishment personnel of the suspension of the assignment of inspection at approximately 0945 hours. This incident represents a violation of 9 CFR 313.15 (a)(1) which states, in part, that the captive bolt stunners should be applied to livestock to produce immediate unconsciousness in the animals before they are shackled, hoisted, thrown, cast, or cut, and that the animals should be stunned in such a manner that they will be rendered unconscious with a minimum of excitement and discomfort. This noncompliance report was forwarded to the Raleigh District Office with a recommendation to impose a Suspension action due the egregious nature of the incident.