28. February 2021

Poland | Swietokrzyskie | Monthly Report February: Farm Animal Service

Bronkowice. The owner releases a calf which he tethered by the horns after our team reprimands him for this dangerous practice.

Finally, this month our Farm Animal Service (FAS) team can return to work after being forced into a break by the worsening COVID-19 pandemic last winter.  

Our first visit is on a farm in Marcinkow. There we trim the hooves of five horses. All of them need special care because they have a history with founder (laminitis). Next, our FAS team drives…

28. February 2021

Poland | Wachock | Helping animals in need during the COVID-19 pandemic

Our team makes sure that the two dogs, Reksio and Bioly, are vaccinated against rabies by a veterinarian.

In February, our team continues with helping animals in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. This month our team finances the neutering of ten female dogs and ten cats (seven female, three male). Additionally, we are bringing one homeless dog to the clinic for a medical treatment. Moreover, our team is able to vaccinate seven dogs and treat two cats…

28. February 2021

Poland | Bodzentyn | Monthly Report February: Cattle and Horse Markets

Due to the low temperatures not as many animals are being sold at the Bodzentyn cattle market.

At the beginning of February, we observe less animals than usual during our inspection of the Bodzentyn cattle market. We suspect that the reason for the small number of animals at the market is due to the very low temperatures reaching minus 17˚C. However, during next inspections we observe that the number of animals is slightly increasing. We…

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…

20. February 2021

The Guardian reports on our efforts to release animals abord the livestock carriers Karim Allah and Elbeik

The Guardian reports on our efforts to free thousands of cattle from the livestock carriers Karim Allah and Elbeik. The animals have been stuck on the ships for two months after they left the ports of Tarragona and Cartagena for Libya in December. Some animals are suspected to be infected with the bluetongue virus. Therefore, the unloading of many…

13. February 2021

EU live exports by sea: Cattle with bluetongue disease held aboard for almost two months

Our teams document the loading of European animals onto the livestock vessel Elbeik. Port of Tarragona, Spain.

Yesterday evening we received the news that sick cattle from the EU have been detained aboard the livestock carrier "Elbeik" for almost two months. There is a suspicion of a bluetongue disease outbreak. For this reason, animals were not allowed to be unloaded in the destination country Libya. Since then, the ship has stopped in several countries…

07. February 2021

Canada | Alberta | Feedlots of Bouvry slaughterhouse

No protection from the cold – not even for heavily pregnant mares.

Together with our North American partners, the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition and Animals’ Angels USA, we have been documenting the horse feedlots at the Bouvry slaughterhouse in Alberta for many years. Here, thousands of horses are fattened with grain feed to their maximum slaughter weight. Our previous investigations have uncovered tremendous…

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…

31. January 2021

Poland | Bodzentyn | Monthly Report January: Cattle and Horse Markets

Our team is inspecting the cattle market in Bodzentyn almost every week.

Our team is investigating the cattle market in Bodzentyn. In January, we document more traders and animals than during the previous months. This circumstance is probably related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, the government decided to support Polish farmers by temporarily suspending the entry fee to animal markets.

During our market…