Daily Mirror: "Desolate death of one British calf fuels call for livestock export ban"
The British newspaper Daily Mirror reports on our research on long-distance transports of young calves. Only a few weeks ago our investigators found a British calf on a fattening farm in Spain. The young animal was lying exhausted and gasping for breath in the blazing sun. The owner of the fattening farm was unwilling to spend any money on the veterinarian on the suffering animal - until we called the police to report this case of animal cruelty. Only then, the owner was willing to call his veterinarian to mercy kill the suffering calf.
Cases like this one are not uncommon. Calves are considered unwanted by-products of the dairy industry in the EU. Many farmers have no use for the young animals and sell them cheaply to buyers abroad. In order to reach their destination the calves have to be transported over long distances. Hunger, thirst and exhaustion are constant companions on these long-distance transports. The extreme transport conditions the calves have to suffer on these transports have long lasting effects. It is not uncommon for the animals to get sick after being transported. We do not know whether the British calf died as a result of the transport. What we know for sure is that long distance transports cause unnecessary suffering to young animals. This is why we demand a stop for cruel long distance transports of young calves.
