Gray's & Danny's Investment, Inc.: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2024 (USDA)

313.2

On May 7, 2024 at approximately 1120, while performing the Livestock Humane Handling task, I observed the following noncompliance: I was observing a plant employee unloading sheep from the transport trailer to the slaughter trailer to receive the ritual cut. The employee was behind one sheep pushing from the rear to move it onto the slaughter trailer. The floor in the unloading area is a slick rubber floor, a texturized mat that is usually used to keep animals from slipping once reaching the floor was further down in the slaughter trailer. Once the sheep’s front legs contacted the slick rubber floor, the animal fell, not yet reaching the area where the ritual cut is made nor the worker performing the cut. The employee continued to push the animal into the trailer as the animal tried to rise and kept slipping and falling. I took regulatory control action and stopped the worker to allow the animal to regain its footing. Mr. REDACTED, plant manager, was further down in the trailer and was notified of the noncompliance. They moved the textured rubber mat over, and he stated he instructed his employees to allow animals to regain their footing if they fall before continuing to move them. Production then immediately resumed once the corrective and preventative actions were given.

313.2

On March 11th, 2024, at approximately 1100 hours while performing humane handling verification activities, in the slaughter trailer, Inspection Program Personnel (IPP) observed the following humane handling incident: A lamb that had undergone a ritual (Halal) slaughter cut, was observed walking around in the area designated for bleeding. IPP observed the wound where the animal had received a ritual cut was bleeding, however the cut did not sever the carotid arteries. IPP immediately notified the establishment personnel that the animal needed to be slaughtered immediately. Upon notifying the employees of the issue, they attempted to catch the lamb to perform another cut and the lamb proceeded to jump over other bled out lamb carcasses into the skinning area. An employee caught the lamb, and it was re-cut to facilitate further bleeding. Subsequently, the lamb suffered loss of consciousness due to anemia of the brain. IPP notified REDACTED (floor supervisor) and REDACTED (plant manager) of the noncompliance and tagged the slaughter area with US Reject tag number: B-45129202.