1. Cows in line to get slaughtered walk through a shower to avoid contamination and promote bleeding. This cow looked aware and resigned. 2. Four animals cramped in the space of (1) are being stunned before slaughtering by a high speed pneumatic bolt pistol. The use of this weapon according to manufacturers and cattle industry is to make the animal insensible to pain. 3. Carcasses in line to get skinned. 4. Slaughterer. 5. A cow appears to be under emotional pain and aware of its end, makes strong eye contact as its being pushed through the "line" to get stunned.
"SANGRE, SUDOR Y LAGRIMAS" ("Blood, Sweat and Tears") Documentary and photojournalistic look at a slaughterhouse in Argentina, the treatment of cattle, their feelings and their pain. Currently a hot topic, the emotional depth of cows and the way they are treated, prompted this photographer to investigate the issue for herself, after securing full access for several days at a slaughter house in Buenos Aires in 2011. I was able to experience the awareness of the animals, days, hours and minutes before getting slaughtered, and their tremendous fear. A few of them were able to shed tears. There's research documentation about this phenomena. It didn't matter what breed they were, what color they were, or what particular farm they came from, as there were several kind who were being dropped off daily by trucks for different types of consumption and different markets. Some were slaughtered for domestic consumption and many of them for export. While their state of cleanliness and hygiene was starkly different depending upon whether they would end up at home or on a European platter, their treatment was quite the same. The only difference in treatment, was determined by the religious customs of the end-user, be were they jewish, muslim or everything else. The ritual slaughters were the bloodiest and quickest. I could observe that most of the cows were aware of my presence. They knew I was not the one who was going to harm them.