In early February, we spent a week observing the Argentine blood farm Syntex, where blood is taken from pregnant mares for the PMSG preparation Fixplan, which is exported to Europe and Germany.

On the pastures of Syntex, we found sheer misery. Nearly every other mare was lame or had open wounds. For years, we have criticized the blood collection…

We are working in two teams. Each team waits for the sheep transports near Slovenian / Italian border. We are working in 12 hour shifts. Our team takes the overnight shift.

13.12.23 | Italy | Freeway A4 near Calstorta

We start working at 21:00 to 8 a.m. on the following day. During this time, we inspect 6 trucks transporting sheep and lambs to…

November 24-28, 2023 | Turkey | Cattle Transports to Iraq

In collaboration with Animals' Angels, our team tracked three cattle transporters, whose license plates were provided by an informant. Our journey spanned over 35 hours across Turkey, through the snow-covered Taurus Mountains, and along the Syrian border to the Harbur/Iraq border. We were…

November 22-28, 2023 | Turkey | Kapikule | Animal Transport Inspections at the Turkish Border

Our teams once again conducted inspections of animal transports at the Turkish border in Kapikule. A total of 11 transporters were checked, mainly carrying cattle from Germany, Austria, Denmark, and the Czech Republic.

In theory, we should not encounter…

14.11.2023 | Poland | Lublin Custom office

Our team arrives at the customs office. A group of 30 customs officers is waiting for us. The first day of training is dedicated to a theoretical part of the Regulation on the protection of animals during transport and the Official control regulation. The attendants are posing many questions and are…

From January to September 2023, our field teams regularly monitored the EU-certified slaughterhouses Lamar and Land L in Argentina, which export horse meat to Switzerland. Many horses at these facilities are in a deplorable state: severely emaciated, badly injured, or sick. Animals in distress are left to die on their own. At Land L, we observe…

In summer 2023, we conduct further investigations into the production of the fertility hormone PMSG in Iceland. The new footage from two blood farms shows that the suffering of the blood mares continues. They are kicked, beaten and confined in injury-inducing restraint boxes. The mares are frightened or panic, they resist and try to escape.

The…

In June our team joins the Polish Road Transport Police (ITD) again with their live transport inspections. This time we are in the North-Eastern part of Poland. During three inspection days together with ITD Bialystok, we inspect seven animal trucks carrying adult pigs, piglets, bulls, laying hens and broilers. Unfortunately, the majority of the…

For years, we have been documenting the cruel conditions of live exports of European animals to third countries via sea from the Spanish port of Cartagena. In the second half of June, we documented together with our partner organisations Welfarm and Animals International, the loading of sheep once again. The animals were loaded onto the vessels…