Germany | Bad Waldsee | Transport of unweaned calves from Germany to Spain

In the beginning of October, AWF|TSB team drives 1160 km for more than 22 hours, trailing a truck which is transporting young German calves from Bad Waldsee (south of Germany) to a calf assembly centre in Vic (northern Spain). The youngest calf is just 15 days old.As victims of the German dairy industry (the main European milk producer), thousands of unwanted male calves are weekly sent by road to Spain to be fattened and slaughtered in Spain or exported to Lebanon or Libya. These fragile animals suffer extremely during long distance transports due to stress, deprivation of feed/ liquids and all the risks factors associated with long journeys. Still, the EU Regulation is allowing long distance transports under certain requirements that can practically not being met during transportation.

This is why our team is not giving up and documents consistently that the Regulation is not enforced on this route to Spain. This time our team is accompanied during the whole investigation by a team from SWR, and by a German official veterinarian, who wanted to see the transport conditions of the calves. AWF|TSB will continue observing and denouncing these sad export practices that every year affect millions of young calves.