Abattoir is a special facility designed and licensed for receiving, holding, slaughtering, and inspecting meat animals before releasing to public consumption. The aim of the current study was to assess existing abattoir facilities and practices and to evaluate bacterial loads on carcass and in-contacts in abattoirs of the West Amhara region, Ethiopia. A crosssectional study was conducted from November 2020 to October 2021. Data were collected using a questionnaire survey, personal observations, and swab samples. Systematic random sampling technique was employed to obtain swab samples; while simple random sampling was used to recruit study participants for interview. A total of 192 swab samples were collected, and 68 abattoir workers were interviewed. Laboratory analysis, semi-structured questionnaire, and personal observation checklist were data collection tools employed. Bacterial load was assessed by using the serial dilution method. Microsoft excel spreadsheet and SPSS version 23 were used for data management and analysis. The study revealed that none of the abattoirs had a veterinary laboratory, separated lairage for different species, chilling room, and by-product collection rooms. Furthermore, there were no any sterilization and equipment disinfection, hot water service, and movement restriction practices in any of the abattoirs. Out of 68 abattoir workers, 41/68 (63.2%) were not trained, 37/68(54.4%) had no medical checkups, 35/68 (51.5%) had no personal protective equipment (PPE). About 72.1% (49/68) of abattoir workers believe that the municipality is responsible for environmental hygiene and waste management outside abattoirs. Only 38.2% (26/68) and 35.3 (24/68) of abattoir workers know about zoonosis and foodborne diseases respectively. The highest and lowest mean total aerobic counts of 7.1, (7.1±1.5) log 10 CFU/cm , and 4.6 (4.6±1.8) log 10 CFU/cm 2 , were found on carcasses and hooks respectively. The highest and lowest mean value of total aerobic counts were found from Injibara municipal abattoir, 7.4+1.6 log 10 CFU/cm 2 , and the Gondar ELFORA abattoir, 5.1+1.1 log 10 respectively. Shortage of basic abattoir requirements; little knowledge of abattoir workers on zoonoses and foodborne diseases; while there are considerable bacterial loads on carcass and in-contacts calls for awareness, training, and further investigation of zoonotic bacteria and implementation of prevention measures. 2 CFU/cm 2