Registration open

Registration is now open for the HSA Conference to be held on 20 & 21 October 2026 at The Catalyst, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. We are offering both in person and online registration
Register now
Poultry Course 27 October 2026

HSA is holding a poultry slaughter course for small-scale seasonal producers, to include assessment for the necessary WATOK licence, on 27 October 2026 in Wokingham
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Support the HSA

Through research, education, training and technical advances, the HSA achieves real, practical and lasting improvements in food animal welfare. An independent charity, the HSA relies on donations, membership subscriptions and legacies to continue this work
See how you can help

Registration open

Registration is now open for the HSA Conference to be held on 20 & 21 October 2026 at The Catalyst, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. We are offering both in person and online registration

Register now

Poultry Course 27 October 2026

HSA is holding a poultry slaughter course for small-scale seasonal producers, to include assessment for the necessary WATOK licence, on 27 October 2026 in Wokingham

Support the HSA

Through research, education, training and technical advances, the HSA achieves real, practical and lasting improvements in food animal welfare. An independent charity, the HSA relies on donations, membership subscriptions and legacies to continue this work

See how you can help

The Humane Slaughter Association

The HSA is an independent registered charity. It is the only UK charity concerned exclusively in promoting the humane treatment of all food animals worldwide, including cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, fish and minority species such as deer, in markets, during transport, at slaughter, and killing for welfare reasons and disease control.

It works through research, education, training and technical advances to bring real, practical and lasting improvements in food animal welfare.

Please support the HSA

HSA’s work relies on your support. Please help us to continue our vital work by clicking on the boxes below and making a donation.

£20 will help us to fund essential research aimed at improving animal welfare beyond the farm gate

£50 enables us to provide hands on education in humane methods of handling and slaughter to improve animal welfare

You can view an introduction to the HSA and its work below.

Welfare at Slaughter

Welfare during Transport

Training and Education

Support the HSA Today

Support the work of the HSA to
improve the welfare of food animals around the world.

Make a Donation

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Recent News & Updates

Come and meet us!

HSA will be attending:

National Beef Expo, 27 April
Pig and Poultry,15-16 May
Welsh Smallholding and Country Festival,18-19 May

The HSA welcomes Defra's new welfare reforms for pigs, farmed fish and crustaceans at slaughter

We are delighted to see that Defra's new Animal Welfare Strategy for England includes commitments to ban high-concentration CO₂ for stunning pigs and to introduce specific, enforceable legislation to protect the welfare of farmed fish at slaughter. We are also pleased to see commitments to improve the welfare of decapod crustaceans at slaughter, including clarification that live boiling of crabs and lobsters is not acceptable. All of these measures are vital reforms that will prevent millions of animals each year from experiencing avoidable pain and distress at the time of slaughter.

HSA welcomes recommendation from the UK Animal Welfare Committee calling for a ban on the use of CO2 to stun pigs

We are delighted to see a strong recommendation from the UK Animal Welfare Committee (AWC) which calls for a ban on the use of CO₂ to stun pigs. The report, to which we contributed evidence, echoes our calls for a ban with a phase-out period that should be as short as possible and within five years. The evidence has long been clear that CO₂ is not a humane method of slaughter for pigs, and there is now clear evidence that alternatives are both more humane and practical.

Humane Slaughter Association

The Old School, Brewhouse Hill, Wheathampstead, Herts, AL4 8AN, UK

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