Every year, 3 million farm animals are exported live out of the EU for slaughter, fattening or breeding. They face terrible suffering on long journeys, and often also the final indignity – a horrific slaughter. We're campaigning to end this cruelty.

Imagine being taken from your family and made to travel for days in packed, sweltering conditions. You’re uncomfortable, thirsty, exhausted and scared, and there’s nowhere to lie down or stretch your legs. Often, you’re beaten. It’s hell on earth, and that’s before you get to your final destination, where you’re likely to meet a brutal, barbaric end.

This is the unacceptable, unimaginable reality for millions of Europe’s farm animals, who are transported from the EU to farms and slaughterhouses in North Africa and the Middle East that would be illegal if they were in the EU.

Transporting calves

For any animal, such a journey and destination would be incredibly harrowing, but – as we discovered in our recent investigation – for a vulnerable, unweaned calf, the suffering is immeasurable. Along with two other NGOs – Animal Welfare Foundation and Tiershutzbund Zurich – we documented the appalling treatment of calves heading for Israel and Palestine from Eastern Europe.

Only weeks old, these defenceless animals are transported up to 4,000km – first in lorries and then boats that are notoriously unfit for purpose – and denied adequate rest, food and water. Their undeveloped systems are unable to provide immunity, deal with stress and control body temperature in response to the squalor and violence they face.

Inevitably, given these conditions, many calves don’t survive the journey, and evidence suggests high mortality rates in the weeks following transportation, when these abused creatures often succumb to secondary diseases as a consequence of their ordeal.

#CowOnTour

To raise awareness for the plight of these ill-treated farm animals, Compassion has launched #CowOnTour – a month-long, pan-European event that will see a life-size cow sculpture travel from London to six other major European cities. The aim is to encourage public backing for our campaign to get live exports from the EU completely banned.

A traumatic trade – why live animal exports must stop