On April 9, 2026, a Dutch truck carrying 306 Irish calves overturned on the A29 near Framerville-Rainecourt, in the Somme department in northern France. No fewer than 105 calves did not survive. The driver sustained minor injuries. The calves were only a few weeks old and were being transported to the Netherlands. The vehicle was a closed truck, in which animals are … [Read more...] about Dutch truck carrying 306 Irish calves overturns in France – 105 calves dead
Bad news
VanDrie breaks promise on imports of Irish calves
The billion-euro veal company VanDrie Group is backing away from its firm promise to stop importing Irish calves from 2026 onwards. The company itself set this deadline following public outrage over the controversial and illegal calf transports. Now that the deadline has arrived, VanDrie is quietly continuing the imports. Every spring, VanDrie imports tens of thousands … [Read more...] about VanDrie breaks promise on imports of Irish calves
Dead piglets on transport from Lunteren assembly centre
This summer, Eyes on Animals and colleagues from Animal Welfare Foundation observed an animal truck with Dutch piglets on board arriving at a slaughterhouse in Croatia. The animals had been loaded at an assembly centre in Lunteren (NL). During unloading, we saw that at least five piglets had not survived the journey. Their bodies were thrown from the ramp and dragged to a … [Read more...] about Dead piglets on transport from Lunteren assembly centre
Welfare concerns during loading of piglets destined for Spain
Today, we saw a Spanish livestock truck at a pig farm in North Brabant, where young piglets were being loaded. We decided to take a look and introduced ourselves to one of the employees. He said we could observe on the condition that we did not film, which we naturally respected. However, just a few minutes later, the farm owner arrived and immediately ordered us to leave … [Read more...] about Welfare concerns during loading of piglets destined for Spain
No further improvements in animal welfare at Heinen slaughterhouse in Zelhem (NL)
In 2015 and 2017, Eyes on Animals visited Heinen slaughterhouse in Zelhem (NL), where pigs and cattle are slaughtered. Following our advice, adjustments were made to the pig restraint box, which led to some improvements. Although we appreciated these changes, the process of moving pigs towards the restraint box remained very stressful, and further improvements were clearly … [Read more...] about No further improvements in animal welfare at Heinen slaughterhouse in Zelhem (NL)
Slaughterhouse Beck currently not open to a visit from Eyes on Animals
In December 2024, Eyes on Animals carried out an unannounced visit to Beck slaughterhouse in Kupferzell, Germany. Beck specializes in the slaughter of piglets. At the time of our visit, no one was available to speak with us, so we followed up by email to request a meeting. In their response, Beck indicated that they are currently not interested in engaging in a … [Read more...] about Slaughterhouse Beck currently not open to a visit from Eyes on Animals
RTE Prime Time: Irish calves mistreated for export
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, … [Read more...] about RTE Prime Time: Irish calves mistreated for export
Alleged exploitation of workers at ‘International Poultry Services’ Dutch chicken-catching company
International Poultry Services (IPS) is the largest poultry catching company in the Netherlands. It is under suspicion of exploiting their catchers and for human trafficking. An investigation into this matter was carried out by journalists from the well-respected investigative magazine Follow the Money (FTM). FTM reveals that IPS has previously been fined for … [Read more...] about Alleged exploitation of workers at ‘International Poultry Services’ Dutch chicken-catching company
VanDrie Group ignores continuous violations in calf imports
In recent years, Eyes on Animals has repeatedly alerted the VanDrie Group to the systematic violations in the importation of Irish calves. During their journey to Dutch calf-fattening farms, young calves are deprived of milk for more than 30 hours, which contravenes the European Transport Regulation. Additionally, we have observed that calves are consistently kicked and … [Read more...] about VanDrie Group ignores continuous violations in calf imports
EonA exposes hypocrisy by Gimdes, a Halal certifying company in Turkey, that produces a booklet on “Halal” meat
During our work in Turkey, visiting cattle and sheep slaughterhouses, we sadly often see horrendous animal suffering. Animals have their throats slit while fully conscious and sentient, but are also chained up by one leg and hoisted fully off the floor or have their legs tied up or are rotated on their backs, often after being electric prodded or very roughly … [Read more...] about EonA exposes hypocrisy by Gimdes, a Halal certifying company in Turkey, that produces a booklet on “Halal” meat
