Investigation reveals live animal transport nightmare

Published 14/07/2011

An investigation by Compassion in World Farming has discovered sheep being transported across Europe in cramped, overloaded trucks with no water.

Investigators tracked five lorry loads of sheep that were being taken from Romania to Greece.

The investigation found animals:

standing and lying on floors soaking with animal waste;
being trampled by others in trucks that gave them insufficient headroom;
with no access to water on at least part of their journey, which lasted around 26 hours;
with their limbs hanging out of the side of trucks due to overcrowding.

This is the latest of many examples of the cruelties involved in long distance animal transport.

Compassion is calling for a meeting with the Agricultural Minister to discuss the findings of its investigation, which found several breaches of EU regulations.

Olga Kikou, European Affairs Manager at Compassion in World Farming, says: "This is an outdated and unnecessary practice that belongs in the last century. It is surely better for Greek farmers, the country's economy and the welfare of animals that we don't import animals more than 1,000km, only to slaughter them once they arrive."

The results of the investigation come as live exports continue through Ramsgate in the UK.

Compassion has not found any such conditions on the lorries using the Kent port to take calves and sheep to the continent for fattening and slaughter. But the trade itself is unnecessary and results in stress and suffering for the animals.

We are urging UK consumers to:

Opt for high welfare, free-range and organic when buying meat.
Sign the petition which calls for a maximum eight hour journey time for any live animal transport in the EU. This will reduce the suffering caused by long distance journeys for millions of calves, pigs, sheep and horses across the continent every year.

Compassion has also written to the Romanian government detailing the breaches of EU regulation and pressing for a meeting to discuss how these infringements can be combated in the future.

In the UK, with the help of our supporters, we continue to fight for an end to long distance live exports.