See especially Eating Meat of People of the Book (ie supermarket meat does not qualify):
a. The one slaughtering be a Muslim, Jew, or a Christian.
b. That the name of God be consciously uttered when the slaughter takes place.
c. That the animal be slaughtered at its throat.
d. That atleast three of the four main veins of the throat be cut with a sharp object, such as a knife.If one can ascertain that the above conditions are being met, it would be permitted to eat such meat. If unable to, then one should avoid and veer on the side of caution. The ruling given in our times is that kosher meat is generally permissible to eat whereas Christian meat is not.
One thing to recall is that eating meat for most of us is a luxury and not a necessity and the health benefits of avoiding its excessive consumption are well known. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and his Companions (Allah be well pleased with them) were known to eat meat rarely and scarcely.
And Being Vegetarian:
If it is done with a good intention then there is no harm in it. So if one stops eating meat because the animals are not treated well before being slaughtered or the like then that will be fine.
online rihla 
“However, at the same time, the scenario you mention indicates the need for Muslims to work towards building a “halal industry” within their respective communities, with the assistance of scholars, local businessmen, and so forth. This may not be an easy task in the world we currently live in but with with some effort and tact results are bound to manifest, beginning with smaller projects, such as local slaughter houses, and then building from there.” (from the first article)
It will help tremendously if the people running the halal stores, especially smaller ones in small communities like mine, were more honest, dependable, and for the love of God, God-fearing and not out the make a quick $ by selling subpar meat that’s been around for way past the expiration dates & freezer-burned beyond recognition. Sorry, had to get that off my chest…
So kosher hot dogs are in? wait, what am I saying? *throws up a little* ;)
This is one of the reasons I’m mainly vegetarian – despite the fact that we do have a large number of zabiha meat sources, most probably came through a factory farm at one point or another, which doesn’t fit the “zabiha” spirit.
do you know if this is the Shafi’i or Hanafi ruling?
I’m guessing hanafi, as they’re approved by Sh. Faraz.
I know what you mean. Even in my country where it is really hard to find non-halal meat, more often than not the chickens are raised in overcrowded, unhygienic conditions, and injected with hormones and antibiotics. I really hate seeing the chickens then traveling in open-air lorries, packed like sardines in a tin, to slaughterhouses. Many people are now calling for stricter regulations. I source my chicken from an organic supplier with better conditions for the chickens. My parents used to have chickens too, and I got mine from them at the time. Also I try to get my fish straight off the fishermen by the beach. It makes for rather interesting fish (because the fishermen were in small boats, so not a lot of variety) but the taste of freshly caught fish is simply divine!
When I was in UK, I did try going vegetarian for a while, but I felt tired all the time and had gas (painful! interfered with salah!). The longest I could stick with it was one day. Sigh. So back to the halal butchers I went. I did notice that the halal chicken there tasted odd, like they have been in the freezer a really long time. Here our chicken is freshly slaughtered each day, and immediately sold off or frozen, and eaten within a short period of time.
Yesterday I tried soaked/slightly sprouted lentils in my stew, and it seems to have really helped with the gas problem. So yay more lentils for me!
If we ever make it to your corner of the world, I’m going to insist you cook some fresh caught fish for us :)