I just had an unusal morning, sourcing new suppliers for the raw diet that I feed the dogs. I went to an abbatoir.
Now the word abbatoir or slaughterhouse had always conjured up a picture in my mind of something rather dark and gruesome like something from a Dickens novel..... but this one was bright, modern and airy, with rolling green pastures surrounding it where you can actually sit and have a picnic, we did have a coffee there from the machine whilst the slaughtermen were having breakfast.
There is a farm butchers shop here which was surpisingly busy for a Sunday morning, but we had to by-pass the shop, where human grade food is sold, and make our way to the door concealed with a metal chain curtain, and enter the Gut Shed
Oh the smell ! Proper gut wrenching
But, mission accomplished, a selection of tripes available, cow, sheep, goat and even water buffalo. We drew the line at the offerings of sheep heads and runners, and quickly hurried back to the car with our tripe, double bagged and placed it in the boot.
The next mission was to cut it into nice sized pieces and freeze, a bit difficult cutting it up with four very interested dogs watching for any bit that may escape the chopping board, and I hasten to add that it had to be done in the garden as no way will that smell be tolerated in the house. Anyway, I'm pleased with our purchases, so are the dogs, and I have enough green tripe now in the freezer to keep them happy until our next Sunday morning trip in a few weeks.
The things we do for our dogs eh !!!
Now the word abbatoir or slaughterhouse had always conjured up a picture in my mind of something rather dark and gruesome like something from a Dickens novel..... but this one was bright, modern and airy, with rolling green pastures surrounding it where you can actually sit and have a picnic, we did have a coffee there from the machine whilst the slaughtermen were having breakfast.
There is a farm butchers shop here which was surpisingly busy for a Sunday morning, but we had to by-pass the shop, where human grade food is sold, and make our way to the door concealed with a metal chain curtain, and enter the Gut Shed
Oh the smell ! Proper gut wrenching
But, mission accomplished, a selection of tripes available, cow, sheep, goat and even water buffalo. We drew the line at the offerings of sheep heads and runners, and quickly hurried back to the car with our tripe, double bagged and placed it in the boot.
The next mission was to cut it into nice sized pieces and freeze, a bit difficult cutting it up with four very interested dogs watching for any bit that may escape the chopping board, and I hasten to add that it had to be done in the garden as no way will that smell be tolerated in the house. Anyway, I'm pleased with our purchases, so are the dogs, and I have enough green tripe now in the freezer to keep them happy until our next Sunday morning trip in a few weeks.
The things we do for our dogs eh !!!