31.07.2009 Inspection and fining of a Spanish truck with sheep destined for slaughter in Lebanon

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In the early hours of July 31 (2009), Eyes on Animals together with PMAF stopped two Spanish-platted trucks with sheep on board, destined for slaughter in Lebanon. The sheep did not have enough head room to stand up in their natural position, and there were no dividers in place. The French gendarmes handed out two fines because of this. The investigators even had to drive the chauffeur to the bank machine to take out cash to pay the fine on the spot.

The incident was covered by French television (France 3 Sud), to watch click here

Transport

All farmed animals are transported at least once in their lifetime. Journeys can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few weeks. Transport is known to be one of the most stressful experiences for animals. They are moved from a familiar territory to a new one and are held often under very crowded conditions. They get separated from each other and mixed with unfamiliar animals, which can lead to stress and fighting. Sometimes there is no water and feed available or the animals cannot reach it. Animals that wish to lie down during the journey are at risk of being trampled by the others. Sometimes conditions on board are very cold or very hot, leading to animals dying from hypothermia and suffocation. There are laws in place to prevent these types of problems, but there is very little official inspection during the journey to check if these laws are respected. Eyes on Animals regularly trails and checks livestock transport consignments to see if the welfare of the animals is respected during transit.

Eyes on Animals -

31.07.2009 Inspection and fining of a Spanish truck with sheep destined for slaughter in Lebanon

Transport