Owasco Meat Company: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2025 (USDA)

313.15(a)(1)

HATS Category VIII - Stunning Effectiveness Today, July 14, 2025 I was performing routine carcass inspections in the slaughter department at Owasco Meat Company. At approximately 1205 hours, I observed an establishment employee attempt to stun a lamb in the knock box using a captive bolt device. Immediately after the first stun attempt, the establishment employee let go of the lamb, and the lamb remained conscious as evidenced by the lamb remaining in a standing position while making coordinated head, leg, and body movements and was successful in moving itself from where the employee had it pushed against the back wall of the knock box. The establishment employee was able to quickly reload the captive bolt gun and make a second stun attempt which was successful in rendering the lamb unconscious. The animal was then shackled, hoisted and bled out without returning to consciousness. Afterwards, I reviewed the position of the stun attempts on the head, and that the initial stun attempt was forward (toward the nose) and outside of the optimal target area. The failure to render the lamb unconscious immediately as described above represents noncompliance with 9 CFR 313.15(a)(1). REDACTED was present in the slaughter department, and I called his attention to the incident as it was occurring. I also verbally notified Mr. REDACTED that the incident would be documented on this noncompliance record.

313.15(a)(1),313.2(f)

HATS Category VIII – Stunning Effectiveness At approximately 0710 an employee loaded a Holstein heifer in the knock box but not in the head restraint. At approximately 0716 an employee attempted to stun the heifer with a handheld captive bolt device, (HHCB) the animal remained standing but did not vocalize. The employee immediately rendered a second shot with the backup HHCB the animal briefly went down but arose bleeding from it’s nose & mouth. While attempting to load the round into the original device it was realized there was no ammunition readily available. The employee retrieved the ammunition from another department in the plant. A 3rd stunning attempt was made at approximately 7:27 rendering the animal unconscious. The Knock box was rejected with US REJECTED tag # B39766120. Plant Manager Mr. REDACTED was verbally notified of the regulatory control action and that a noncompliance report with 9 CFR 313.2(f) and 9 CFR 313.15(a)(1) would be issued.