What are the penalties for slaughterhouses for mistreating domesticated animals in Vietnam?

What are the penalties for slaughterhouses for mistreating domesticated animals in Vietnam? (Internet image)

What are animal slaughter and big-scale slaughterhouse?

Animal slaughter is the practice of killing animals in general, usually referring to the slaughter of livestock and poultry, slaughtering for food.

According to Clauses 6 and 7, Article 3 of the Law on Animal Husbandry 2018, cattle means any mammal with 4 legs domesticated and raised by humans; poultry means any winged animal with 2 legs and feather domesticated and raised by humans.

Pursuant to Clause 1, Subsection 4, Section 1, QCVN 150: 2017/BNNPTNT promulgated together with Circular 13/2017/TT-BNNVPTNT, big-scale slaughterhouse: a slaughterhouse that is under the planning approved by a provincial People’s Committee and issued with a business registration certificate, enterprise registration certificate or investment certificate

What are the penalties for slaughterhouses for mistreating domesticated animals in Vietnam? 

Animal abuse, beating, or maltreatment is intentional causing suffering, pain, suffering, starvation or harm to individual animals.

According to Article 29 of Decree 14/2021/ND-CP, administrative sanctions on offences against regulations on animal husbandry, humane treatment for domesticated animals and control of slaughter of terrestrial animals include:

- The fine of between 1,000,000 dong and 3,000,000 dong will be imposed for the act of cruelly beating and torturing domesticated animals.

- The fine ranging from 3,000,000 dong to 5,000,000 dong shall be imposed for one of the following offences:

+ Having none of pre-slaughtered animal storage facilities complying with hygiene regulations;

+ Beating animals before slaughter;

+ Having none of measures to stun animals before slaughter.

- Imposing the fine ranging from 10,000,000 dong to 15,000,000 dong for obstruction, destruction and invasion of legal animal production activities.

- Offences arising from introducing foreign bodies, coercively pumping water or other substances into the bodies of terrestrial animals before slaughter shall be sanctioned as follows:

+ Imposing the fine of between 5,000,000 dong and 10,000,000 dong if total weight of animals involved in these offences is less than 100 kg;

+ Imposing the fine of between 10,000,000 dong and 20,000,000 dong if total weight of animals involved in these offences is between 100 kg and under 500 kg;

+ Imposing the fine of between 20,000,000 dong and 30,000,000 dong if total weight of animals involved in these offences is between 500 kg and under 1,000 kg;

+ Imposing the fine of between 30,000,000 dong and 50,000,000 dong if total weight of animals involved in these offences is at least 1,000 kg.

According to Clause 5, Article 29 of Decree 14/2021/ND-CP, other supplementary penalties include:

+ The penalty existing in the form of seizure of exhibits shall be imposed for the offences arising from the act of deteriorating animal production activities as referred to in Clause 3 Article 29 of Decree 14/2021/ND-CP;

+ The penalty existing in the form of temporary suspension of business for the duration of between 01 and 06 months shall be imposed for the offences referred to in Clause 4 of Article 29 of Decree 14/2021/ND-CP.

In addition, based on Clause 6, Article 29 of Decree 14/2021/ND-CP on remedies, compelling the thermal treatment of animals involved in the offences prescribed in clause 4 of this Article; in case of repeating such offences, the destruction thereof shall be required.

Nguyen Pham Nhut Tan

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