On October 8, 2024, the Irish investigative program RTE Prime Time aired a shocking documentary about the export of Irish calves, responding to findings from Eyes on Animals, Ethical Farming Ireland, L214, and Dier&Recht. The documentary reveals various violations: calves are deprived of milk for extended periods, are mistreated at the Irish assembly center in Kerry, where some calves even die before their long journey to countries such as the Netherlands and Poland begins.
The documentary highlights a disturbing trend: an increasing number of Irish calves are being exported to countries like Poland and Romania, where they are often fattened under deplorable conditions. Once “fattened,” some of these calves are transported to countries like Israel and Libya for slaughter. The conditions on the transport trucks and livestock vessels are unimaginably cruel. The slaughter conditions in these countries are equally appalling, with animals being slaughtered while fully conscious, leading to a slow and extremely painful death. RTE interviewed Lesley Moffat, director of Eyes on Animals, among other experts.
The findings from the RTE journalists and our teams paint a chilling picture of the calf industry. Eyes on Animals will continue its inspections until this cruel trade comes to an end.
You can watch the full RTE documentary here:
