On March 8th, 2021 we found a truck parked at Lunteren assembly centre with two seriously injured sows onboard. We filed an enforcement request with the NVWA, but this was denied due to “lack of evidence”. Our objections against this decision were declared unfounded. The NVWA advised that the veterinarian on duty that day, did not see the sows. Also, according to the NVWA the footage we provided did not conclusively show that the truck was indeed parked at Lunteren assembly centre. Therefore today (May 18th, 2023) Eyes on Animals has filed an appeal against NVWA’s decision.
We believe the reasoning behind NVWA’s claim of insufficient evidence is down to the lack of research by the NVWA. The footage that we took on March 8th 2021 clearly shows the area surrounding the truck (seen through the ventilation holes). There are also WhatsApp messages from the owner of the assembly centre that confirm our visit. Also, with the use of metadata, information about the footage can be retrieved such as the location and time details. It also appears that no use was made of the camera footage from the assembly centre itself or of the veterinary reports and/or images from the slaughterhouse in Germany (where the sows are likely to have gone). Another serious concern is the Veterinary Appeals Board has previously issued a warning to a NVWA vet present at the Lunteren assembly centre for approving pigs for transportation who were suffering with abscesses, lameness and tail necrosis.
Timeline:
- 08-03-2021 Eyes on Animals arrives at assembly center Lunteren to find a truck with seriously injured sows inside.. Read more >>
- 10-06-2021 Eyes on Animals files a request for enforcement with the NVWA as no action is taken.
- 28-10-2021 The NVWA denies the request for enforcement.
- 19-11-2021 Eyes on Animals files an objection against the NVWA decision not to enforce and requests all relevant documents. Read more >>
- 9-03-2023 NVWA declares our objections unfounded.
- 18-05-2023 Eyes on Animals files an appeal.
