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A VIDEO INTRODUCTION




THE ORGANIZATION

Eyes on Animals is an independent animal-welfare inspection organization with its headquarters in The Netherlands. Eyes on Animals was created in 2009 to fulfill the urgent need of overseeing that current European animal-protection legislation is being put into practice. We have volunteer investigators who are regularly in the field conducting inspections and watching out for animal welfare problems. We work primarily in the Benelux, but also go to other countries where we think we could be of help.

Our mission:

To reduce the suffering of animals on farms, during transport, at markets and inside slaughterhouses.

Why we work in the field

Millions of horses, pigs, cattle, poultry, rabbits, sheep and goats do not receive the legal protection they deserve. The European animal-welfare laws are good in theory and are based on the following `five freedoms`:

  • freedom from thirst, hunger and malnutrition
  • freedom from discomfort
  • freedom from pain, injury and disease
  • freedom to express normal behavior
  • freedom from fear and distress

In practice however, violations to these laws continue to occur on farms, during transport, at markets, and in slaughter houses. The underlying problem is that there is not enough supervision nor enough effective enforcement. This is why Eyes on Animals was created. Our voluntary inspectors find out what is really going on in the field. If needed, we offer help to the animals on the spot, address those responsible in the industry or request the intervention of the authorities.

Eyes on Animals…

  • Conducts inspections of livestock transports, farms, livestock markets and slaughterhouses.
  • Assists the work of European Union officials and Benelux law enforcers by providing them with our reports.
  • Gives training courses to highway police officers on the European legislative requirements concerning animal transport.
  • Politically lobbies for better legislation, effective enforcement and dissuasive sanctioning systems.
  • Exposes cases of animal suffering to the authorities, politicians and if necessary the media.
  • Works together with other animal-welfare organizations and political parties.
  • Has established a Taskforce of international experts and veterinarian inspectors to share and exchange experience.
  • Gives welfare-workshops to livestock drivers to encourage them to carefully think about the well-being of animals. 

Changing the industry from within

Eyes on Animals believes in constructive dialogue with the industry. Via regular contact with livestock drivers, directors of slaughterhouses and managers of livestock markets we have already attained animal-welfare improvements from which thousands of animals benefit. Urged by Eyes on Animals, some slaughterhouses have started to give warm bedding to animals that arrive slightly sick or injured instead of leaving them to lie on cold bare concrete floors. Animals passing through markets in the Netherlands are now given access to water and cows in lactation are being milked. These improvements may seem small, but every single day, for the individual animals, they make an enormous difference. Thanks to the expertise of our inspectors and their mutual respect and thoroughness, the industry listens to their criticisms and acts on their suggestions.

WHO WE ARE

The team of Eyes on Animals consists of a handful of trained inspectors, 5 motivated board members, a legal advisor, an accountant, a technical assistant and many passionate volunteers. We will introduce some of them briefly:

Director/Head of inspections: Lesley
After completing a Masters of Science in ethology and assisting a professor in farm animal behaviour research at the Agricultural University of Guelph in Canada, I worked at a farm animal sanctuary as general caretaker and environmental enrichment manager. In 2001 I moved to Europe to work as a full-time inspector in France and Canada for a European animal welfare organization, focusing on animal welfare during transport. In 2008 I helped start up Eyes on Animals in The Netherlands where I now live.

Regular inspector: Margreet
For many years I have been active in animal welfare, ranging from the Dutch 'Animal ambulance' to rescuing street elephants, gibbons and bears in Asia. Mid 2009, I decided to spend less time working as a therapist (I am a trained (hypno) therapist and master of NLP) to make it possible to do more structural volunteer work for Eyes on Animals. I do inspections and give animal welfare trainings.

 

Board president/Communication officer: Ingrid

Being president of the board of such a small organization as Eyes on Animals requires a hands-on (voluntary) dedication. So I regularly go along on inspections at livestock markets and farms with Lesley and Margreet and also handle communication for Eyes on Animals. For many years I have been involved in improving animal welfare in different fields. As an experienced journalist I have been able to raise public awareness for animal welfare problems through various media.

Eyes on Animals' legal advisor: Lenny Reesink
After having completed a Master of Law at the University of Leiden in 2006 I began my career as a lawyer at the Ministry of Justice in The Hague. My duty at Eyes on Animals is to review all violations to animal welfare that the inspectors observe in the field. I will then take any legal action deemed necessary to ensure that the situation for the animals be improved and the offender dissuaded from repeating the offence.