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During our inspections at the Turkish border, we observed many livestock trucks with serious welfare violations coming from Hungary. One of our ideas to end this suffering was for EonA together with AWF and our Hungarian colleagues at Welfarm to start offering our police training program also to the Hungarian police. We hope that by getting the Hungarian police involved the situation for the animals will improve and less companies will risk violating the EU welfare rules. After an initial presentation about our training to all chief police officers in Hungary, we were told that they know of the problems but not yet the details of the laws they can enforce and therefore the three groups were asked to start giving trainings to the Hungarian police in all 19 counties this year!
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Today was our first training in Hungary. We taught 21 highway police officers near Tolna, roughly two hours south of Budapest. During the morning we held a theory course in their conference room, and in the afternoon we stopped two Hungarian livestock trucks on the highway. One was carrying pigs on a long-distance journey to Moldova, estimated journey time of 23.5 hours. We were positively surprised- the truck was modern and in good condition (ventilators and water system was working) and the loading density and condition of the animals was within the EU norms. The drivers had a ladder on board and offered the police to also check on the animals in the upper levels. The second truck was empty but filthy. The driver claimed the washing station at the local slaughterhouse where he had just unloaded pigs was broken. He received a verbal warning. |
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The police expressed interest in this type of inpection and confirmed that the next time they run a road inspection and a livestock truck is stopped, they will check on the welfare of the animals. We will stay in touch with them. |
