31. December 2018

Poland | Bodzentyn, Lagow | Monthly Report December: Cattle & Horse Markets

Our team notices a cow with an ingrown horn.

In December, we expect a lot more animals at the markets because of Christmas. Surprisingly, at the horse market and the Lagow cattle market there are much less animals, whilst at the Bodzentyn cattle market the numbers are a bit higher. However, still a lot below the average of what we used to see before Christmas in previous years. 

This time we…

30. December 2018

Argentina | Buenos Aires, Cordoba | Horsemeat production

A pile of dead horses behind the Lamar slaughterhouse.

In December 2018, two weeks after an audit by the EU-Commission, our team returns to Argentina. At both slaughterhouses Lamar and Land L, new shelters have been installed, particularly for the audit. However, they are too small for the large numbers of horses which are usually kept on the premises. Once again, we see a lot of emaciated, injured,…

04. December 2018

Uruguay | Artigas, Canelones | Horse auction and transport to the slaughterhouse

Auction in Artigas: brutal handling at the entrance of the auction ring.

Our team inspects a horse auction in Artigas, a town in northern Uruguay. The handling of the horses at the entrance of the auction ring is extremely violent. Auction workers hit the frightened animals with sticks and leather whips. All horses go through the sale regardless of their condition. We even see a horse with a broken leg, heavily pregnant…

18. October 2018

Poland| | Starachowice | Court case no.3

We are visiting the court in Starachowice again. This time we are here to hear the verdict in the case of a cow with an ingrown rope, the one that we documented during cattle market in August 2017. As usual, we reported it to the Police. This time Police had no doubt and after initial analysis, sent the case to the court. After two court sessions…

18. October 2018

Poland | Starachowice | Court case

[Translate to English:] Einer von vier Kühen mit eingewachsenem Horn

We are in the court in Starachowice waiting for a judgment regarding four cases of cows with horns ingrown into their heads. We documented these injured animals at Bodzentyn cattle market between August and November 2016. We sent a notification about the offence to the Police. After a few months of collecting evidence and hearing the witnesses, the…

18. October 2018

Poland | Germany | France | Transport of unweaned calves

[Translate to English:] Unser Team folgt einem Kälbertransporter über 1480 km und 22 Stunden von Polen nach Frankreich.

A team from AWF|TSB and our French partner organisation Welfarm follows a truck that is transporting calves from Poland to Spain. The calves are younger than eight weeks and are therefore considered as unweaned. Three of them are just 15 days old. According to the EU animal transport regulation 1/2005, unweaned calves must be given liquid which is…

18. October 2018

Germany | Oldenburg | inspections of animal transports

Road inspections near Emstek follow the seminar of the day before. Within three hours six national transports are inspected, three loaded with pigs and four with unweaned calves, some of them just a few days old. In one truck a calf is released that got stuck between a dangerous divider and the side wall of the truck. Futhermore insufficient…

18. October 2018

Poland | Wloszczowa | Court case

We are visiting the court in Wloszczowa and waiting for the verdict of another cases of cows with ingrown horns into their head. During summer 2017 at Bodzentyn cattle market our team observed three injured animals. After collecting evidence and hearing the witnesses, the Police sent these cases to the court in Wloszczowa. The judge decides to…

18. October 2018

Germany | Bad Waldsee | Transport of unweaned calves from Germany to Spain

In the beginning of October, AWF|TSB team drives 1160 km for more than 22 hours, trailing a truck which is transporting young German calves from Bad Waldsee (south of Germany) to a calf assembly centre in Vic (northern Spain). The youngest calf is just 15 days old.As victims of the German dairy industry (the main European milk producer), thousands…