Voordierenblogger: In Ghana Pigs are due to lack of alternatives, clubbed to death before slaughter: the Dutch Eyes on Animals are training farmers, butchers, abattoirs to use a stunning device

https://www.eyesonanimals.com/

After two years of waiting, it was finally here: the Ghanaian government approved the import of tranquilizers . Ten new tranquilizers, maintenance kits, and tens of thousands of cartridges. On December 19, 2025, we were finally able to pick them up!

Sorf and his team were immediately ready to receive the equipment. There was no time to lose. The sooner the stunners are in use, the less animals will suffer.

Photo: Sorf with the newly arrived stunning devices in Accra, Ghana.

Geomatela Pig Farm On December 24th, our Eyes on Animals and WACPAW) visited Geomatelain Somanya 2022-Annual-Report.pdf Please read their achievements with help from https://www.eyesonanimals.com/
for the first time What we saw there is unfortunately still the standard in Ghana—and many other countries: pigs are beaten over the head with a heavy wooden club until they no longer move. Then they are slaughtered. Not out of cruelty, but because there is no alternative. We immediately provided training and provided a stunning device . The staff learned how to approach the animals calmly and stun them in one go. The difference was immediately visible. The animals were unconscious in an instant. No clubs. No prolonged pain. The staff promised to use the stunning device on every animal from now on. We will return soon to verify that this is indeed the case.

First pigs were clubbed to death, now they are stunned.

Doweba Pig Farm
Two days later, on December 26th, we visited Doweba. Sixty pigs are slaughtered here every week.

Heavy metal rods were used to knock animals unconscious. Here, too, we provided training in working calmly and administering the correct stunning. We handed over a stunning device and cartridges.

The killing was stopped immediately.

The killing of pigs also came to an end on this farm.

Pretty Pipers Pig Farm and Slaughterhouse
On January 2nd, we returned to Pretty Pipers. Last summer, we had already given a training session here and left a stunning device. Around Christmas, it had broken due to heavy use.

Thanks to the new maintenance kits, Sorf was able to repair the old stunning device. We also donated a new one. Now there is one stunning device on the farm and one at the slaughterhouse. All pigs are stunned before slaughter.

The owner was visibly pleased with our visit and expressed his great appreciation.

Sorf repairs the old stunning device and provides an extra one.

Krofrom Slaughterhouse
On January 3rd, we went to the Krofrom slaughterhouse in Kumasi. Since our first training in 2023, they had been using a stunning device we donated. However, this device had recently broken down.

We provided a new one. This prevented them from permanently resorting to the baton. Stunning was resumed the same day.

Stunned slaughter resumes in Krofrom.

Olive Abattoir
Finally, we visited Olivein Accra. We've been working on improvements there for three years.

We improved the unloading facilities, had dangerous drainage holes covered, and provided training on handling the animals more calmly. We also donated a new stunning device with cartridges.

The slaughterhouse slaughtered animals under stunning again that same day. The abattoir's veterinarian, Dr. Bonsu Gbawe, was visibly grateful for our continued support.

Sorf presents a new anesthetic machine to Dr. Bonsu Gbawe.

Our work in Ghana continues
.Working in Ghanaian slaughterhouses is grueling. It's horrific to see animals being bludgeoned to death with heavy blows.

But we also see that change is possible. That gives us hope.

We can't prevent thousands of animals from being slaughtered every day. But we can reduce their suffering.

A stunning device makes a world of difference.

I'm incredibly grateful to Sorf and his team for their dedication. He's currently working with the Ghanaian government on legislation that will make stunning mandatory. He's also trying to simplify the import of stunning devices so that slaughterhouses can access them themselves.

Until then, we'll continue to provide free training and make stunning equipment available. Lasting change requires continued commitment!

Thank you for your support.
A huge thank you to all the donors who make our work in Ghana possible. Thanks to your support, we can concretely and directly reduce animal suffering.

Every training session.
Every stunning device.
Every company that makes the switch.

That's real, measurable progress.

Help us and donate

With sincere thanks for your support of the animals,