Authorities break up unlicensed animal slaughter sites across Netherlands
Dutch authorities have intervened at several illegal slaughterhouses across the Netherlands in recent days, seizing sheep carcasses and rescuing live animals amid heightened enforcement during Offerfeest (Eid al-Adha), the Islamic holiday during which many animals are reportedly ritually slaughtered, AD reported.
The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) and the police conducted multiple raids, including a major intervention Friday at an illegal slaughter site on a farm in Noord-Limburg. NVWA inspectors found four sheep carcasses and large quantities of slaughter waste.
Eight live sheep were also discovered and transferred to the animal welfare organization Comité Dierennoodhulp, which is working to find shelter for the animals. The committee has formal agreements with the NVWA to provide emergency care for rescued animals.
According to the NVWA, both its inspectors and police officers are on high alert during Offerfeest, with intensified inspections targeting unlicensed and illegal slaughter activities.
Comité Dierennoodhulp reported Saturday—on the second day of Offerfeest—that it has rescued 13 sheep from illegal slaughter in recent days. The organization described the conditions as "heartbreaking", citing scenes where sheep were left waiting to be slaughtered.
On Thursday, the committee responded to a report involving two sheep found in the backyard of a shoarma restaurant in Veldhoven, Noord-Brabant. One day earlier, sheep were discovered tied up in the trunks of cars in Edam and Katwoude. Although the NVWA confirmed these incidents, it does not release the names of the locations involved.
Separately, the NVWA reported Thursday that it had uncovered an illegal slaughterhouse operating on a farm in Gelderland. The agency did not say whether the illegal activities were directly linked to Offerfeest.
During the holiday period, NVWA veterinarians are stationed at licensed slaughterhouses to ensure all slaughtering is carried out in compliance with Dutch animal welfare laws. Outside those authorized facilities, additional inspections are conducted, and the authority responds to reports from the public.
Unlawful slaughter, especially when carried out without stunning and outside a licensed facility, is a criminal offense in the Netherlands. The NVWA warns that violators face fines of up to 103,000 euros and prison sentences of up to six years.
