Animals stunned quickly in Jewish abbatoirs

I agree with Ted Neville (Letters , 21 August)) in condemning the “appalling act of cruelty meted out to a family¹s pet terrier dog who died after his throat was cut”. I must, however, take issue with his comparison to “Halal and Kosher” methods of slaughter.

His description of them as “relics of a bygone era allowed 60 years after we adopted humane killing methods in abbatoirs” and call to “end this barbaric (sic) practice” is based on a lack of understanding of their operation.

While I cannot comment on the details of Muslim practice, I am familiar with shechitah, the Jewish method of slaughter.