ABSTRACT
Non-ambulatory (downer) cattle are a major problem area and dairy cattle are 75% of the downers (Grandin, 1994). As observed by the authors, cattle that arrive as nonambulatory in South American slaughterhouses are also mainly culled cows (Fig. 2). When unloading non-ambulatory cows, they should be handled and moved as little as possible in order to avoid producing more pain and distress on the animal. Dragging of downed or crippled livestock is forbidden in most countries. Slide boards and cripple carts are helpful to unload disabled cattle and further transport them to the emergency slaughterhouse to be immediately slaughtered. If this is not possible, the disabled animal should be stunned on the vehicle, before unloading, and slaughtered immediately after. However, it is still common to see improper unloading of non-ambulatory cows, being lifted or hoisted from different parts of their bodies instead of being humanely killed on the truck (Fig. 5).
