... by project

29. September 2020

Poland | Bodzentyn, Lagow | Monthly Report September: Cattle and Horse Markets

Bodzentyn. Our team notices a cow with overgrown claws and reports this case to the competent authorities.

Our team is inspecting the animal markets in Bodzentyn and Lagow. At the horse market we do not see a single horse. It becomes ever more typical that there are no horses being sold at the Bodzentyn horse market anymore.

At the Lagow cattle market our team only documents three cows.  However, the traders keep haggling for over an hour. We hear the…

31. July 2020

Poland | Swietokrzyskie | Monthly report July: Farm Animal Service

Michalow. Our team is placing a special horseshoe on a foal’s hoof. It turns out to be a quite challenging task.

The coronavirus crisis forced our Farm Animal Service (FAS) team to pause their work for three months. Finally, we can continue with our field work programme ATET. Our programme is focused on helping farm animals in need. Due to the long-enforced break, we receive a lot of calls this month from farmers asking for our help. The coronavirus crisis…

30. July 2020

France | Port of Sète | Live transports by sea

Our team observes how dock workers are loading the ETAB with straw for the next journey.

Our team is in France for an investigation in the EU port of Sète. From this port, live animals from Europe are often shipped across the Mediterranean to the Maghreb states and the Middle East.

During our investigation, we document two animal transport ships in the port of Sète: ALONDRA (year of construction: 1995) and ETAB (year of construction:…

28. July 2020

Belgium | Flemish Region | Transport of unweaned calves to France

The calves have not been supplied with milk replacer during transport. They show visible signs of hunger by mooing loudly and biting on the bars of the truck.

Our team is investigating in Belgium to monitor the transport of unweaned calves. The term “unweaned” is used to describe calves up to the age of eight weeks since these young animals are still reliant on milk.

On our first investigation day, we covertly observe how livestock trucks from Germany are delivering calves to a Belgian assembly centre…

21. July 2020

Bulgaria | Kapitan Andreevo | Live transports by road to Turkey

The long waiting hours in the extreme summer heat are causing unnecessary suffering to these animals.

Our team is in Bulgaria in the village of Kapitan Andreevo which marks the external border of the EU with Turkey. This is the tenth year in a row that our teams have been on the lookout for animal transports in extreme temperatures. During this investigation we inspect 28 animal transporters in total. The vehicles that leave the exit point of…

27. June 2020

Poland | Bodzentyn, Lagow | Monthly Report June: Cattle and Horse Markets

Lagow cattle market: Due to a lack buyers, the animals are not even unloaded from the lorries.

This month our team returns to the cattle market in Lago to ensure that the welfare of the animals being sold at the market is respected. Both animal markets in Lagow and Bodzentyn re-opened recently after the imposed restrictions related to COVID-19 were released.

The number of cattle present at the markets is very low. During our inspection…

22. June 2020

Spain | Catalonia | Export of calves: Dying calf on fattening farm

We detect a dying calf that is left without medical assistance on the fattening farm.

Our team is investigating fattening farms in the Spanish region of Lleida. This is also where unweaned calves from Germany are transported. After six to ten months of fattening, these calves are exported to countries outside European Union by sea. 

On the first investigation day we spot a calf outside the fattening farm pen. The calf is lying in…

21. June 2020

Spain | Tarragona | Live exports by sea

A journalist is accompanying our investigators in Spain.

Our team is investigating in the Spanish export harbour Tarragona. We are accompanied by a journalist. Together we want to collect information about live export by sea from Spain. 

Currently, animals are loaded on export ships in Tarragona almost on a daily basis. The demand for live animals from the Middle East is very high at the moment because…

30. May 2020

Poland | Bodzentyn | Monthly Report May: Cattle and Horse Markets

The chickens are packed in groups of several into the bags. Some bags do not even have a ventilation hole.

Poland is gradually lifting some of the national restrictions related to COVID-19. Therefore, the town of Bodzentyn allows animal markets to re-open. Our team can now continue with their market inspections to ensure that the welfare of the animals at the market is respected. Obligations to keep social distance at least at two meters are still in…