Investigations by Topics:

08. February 2023

Investigation in France: Calves remain hungry at EU supply station (control post)

Our team is inspecting the condition of the young animals and the loading situation.

The police stop a truck with 200 hungry calves near Besancon (France). This police action is possible due to our cooperation with the French NGO Welfarm and the EU politician Caroline Roose from the Green party.

The night before our investigation team observes the calves from the Czech Republic being unloaded at a supply station in the Alsace.…

28. June 2022

Live transport inspection: Unweaned calves form Germany enroute to Spain

For the first time, our team is observing how calves are supplied on a truck with electrolyte solution using a new drinking system.

Our team covertly trails a German transporter carrying unweaned calves to Spain. We are accompanied by an official veterinarian. After eight hours the drivers stopp in France to supply the calves with electrolyte solution. The majority of the calves is using the mobile drinking system.

We are positively surprised to observe for the first time the…

10. February 2022

Czech Republic | Rozvadov | Transport of calves to Spain

Looking for food, the hungry calves keep licking each other and the bars.

Not an individual case: Calves are fed insufficiently at control posts (supply stables) in France on a regular basis. Our investigations from the last years prove this.

The same is true today. Our team is accompanied by journalists and Caroline Roose, Member of the European Parliament. We observe a transport of calves on its way from the Czech…

20. December 2021

Italy: Inspection of long distance transports of lambs and sheep

Unweaned lambs are being transported over long distances to a slaughterhouse in the middle of Italy.

Together with our partner organisation, Animal Equality Italy, our team is on the lookout for trucks transporting lambs. Together we want to inspect long distance transports of lambs for animal welfare violations. Especially, before the Christian holidays, Easter and Christmas, many lambs are exported to Italy for slaughter. Our teams are on…

17. September 2021

Czech Republic| Rozvadov | Transport of calves to Spain

Unweaned calves from the Czech Republic en route to Spain.

Our team trails a Polish transporter loaded with 232 calves from Czech Republic. The calves have not been weaned yet. This means that they are still reliant on milk. During a stop close to the German border we inspect the loading conditions of the calves. The truck is equipped with a drinking system for pigs. This not appropriate to provide liquids…

24. February 2021

ANIT Committee | First AWF-Hearing | Transport of unweaned animals

Our project manager, Iris Baumgärtner, advocates an end to cruel transports of unweaned animals before the ANIT Committee.

Already at the tender age of 14 days, calves and lambs are allowed to be transported across Europe over long distances. In the transport vehicles, the young animals, which are still dependent on breast milk, cannot be taken…

01. February 2021

Poland | Nowy Targ | Live transport: Justice for lambs

The national news are reporting about the verdict. Our attorney is being interviewed about the case by the news magazine "Fakty".

Every year before Easter, Italy imports thousands of lambs for slaughter. Our team has been investigating the trade and violations against animal welfare during transport for half a decade. Together with the Polish animal welfare organisation, VIVA, we started a trial in 2018 against the organiser of one of these transports and the official…

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…

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…