Concerns about religious slaughter focus on the stress caused during the preparation stages before the slaughtering, pain and distress that may be experienced during and after the neck cutting and the worry of a prolonged period of time of lost brain function during the points between death and preparation if a stunning technique such as electronarcosis is not applied.
Issues surrounding humane treatment of animals in slaughterhouses focus on the anxiety triggered by the pre-slaughter procedures, pain and distress experienced during and after the incision, and the concern that a prolonged state of unconsciousness may occur between death and preparation if an anesthetic method like electrical stunning is not used.