- Location
- Carmarthenshire, West Wales
I have a booklet here somewhere, from the humane slaughter association, and they recommend a 12 bore from about 12" into the front of the skull, as being suitable to euthanise an animal, especially as a lot of farmers have a 12 bore and it is quick and easy with little skill involved. Free bullet, more chance of it shooting out and missing the vital parts of the brain, and as has been posted above a captive bolt stunner, stuns, it does not kill, have to cut the throat and blood vessels after stunning. A gun is far more humane than an injection, however I have read that horse racing now uses an injection as the public do no like to hear a gun although the horse suffers more. Was talking to the vet about this, and she said in her old job, they always used a free bullet to dispatch animals, but in this practice they inject if they need to. Renewing my shotgun certificate, I said to the visiting ex police officer, I am more likely to use to shotgun to euthanise a sick animal than go shooting and I notice a look of distaste pass over his face.