Early morning, in the company of ITD, Police, Veterinary Inspection and Customs Officers we go to a service area by E40 highway. Soon an empty chicken truck is stopped, giving a great opportunity to carefully inspect the vehicle, as a result of which a few areas of concern are found. Next, the inspectors stop two pig transports. In one of the…

In Katowice, a 60-person-strong and diversified group has gathered for our theoretical training. Besides WITD inspectors, there are representatives of Police, Veterinary Inspection and Customs Officers. The audience listens carefully. During breaks we are getting requests for trainings for other authorities.

While we are following the horses in our car and listening to the radio commenting the “raid” (long-distance race), we hear that a horse went down shortly before the finish. When the three horses winning the race approached the end of the 105 km distance, the second placed one broke down. According to the radio commentator, the horse rolled over…

The Academic Organisation for Culture, an Islamic Institution in Cologne (Germany), invited our inspector Asalet Sancakdaroglu to give a talk about animal-welfare and in particular Ritual slaughter. The presentation was 3-hours long and the audience was very attentive and interested. Asalet explained the essence of the Islamic requirements for…

Today our team counts about 500-600 animals (a lot of bulls and calves). Most of animalsseem to be in good general condition. Most of traders still refuse to use halters. Team observes few emaciated cows with overgrown hooves, few non-milked cows and one with huge swollen udder. Due to the strict enforcement of the authorities all traders…

Our team meets with representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in order to discuss the approval of vessels and the implementation of sea transports. Ireland is the only Member State of the European Union that has stricter requirements than EU Regulation 1/2005. Animals can only be exported on vessels approved in Ireland.…

Today few Vet Inspectors and Road Police (ITD) inspect the market in Bodzentyn. They check carefully trucks transporting livestock. About half past 6 our teamobserves a cow (PL005166711708) lying down just after being unloaded. Market vet orders to water her and give her some rest. Even though the cow eats and drinks, she isn’t able to get up on…

Our AWF/ EonA teams stays at the Bulgarian side of the border between Kapitan Andreevo/ Bulgaria and Kapikule/ Turkey and observes the arrival times of animals at the border.  A French journalist from ARTE is accompanying us. The trade is comparably slow, with approximately 10 animal trucks per day. We inspect a certain number of trucks, who are…

Our team has inspected today 15 road transport vehicles transporting live bovines from EU member states to Turkey. The majority of animals have been found to be in a good condition. However we have found one truck that carried 2 young newborn calves that have been born during the journey to two German heifers.

That should have not happened. The…