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
animal transport
Export checks of young piglets for slaughter fall short: serious violations documented on transports from the Netherlands to Croatia
This summer, Eyes on Animals documented two long-distance transports of Dutch piglets to slaughterhouses in Croatia. Our findings show that export checks at Dutch assembly centres are far too superficial. We observed dead piglets upon arrival, overcrowded conditions on board, uneven loading between compartments, piglets in poor physical condition, and … [Read more...] about Export checks of young piglets for slaughter fall short: serious violations documented on transports from the Netherlands to Croatia
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
Loading piglets at Van Rooi: reflecting together on how to reduce stress
Today we observed the loading of piglets at the Van Rooi assembly centre in Lieshout. The piglets being loaded were surplus animals, selected for slaughter in Croatia due to issues such as bitten ears or umbilical hernias. Our aim was to gain insight into how ‘fitness for transport’ is assessed, and to explore ways to reduce stress during loading. Herding and loading – … [Read more...] about Loading piglets at Van Rooi: reflecting together on how to reduce stress
Visit to pig assembly centre Van Rooi in Lieshout (NL)
Today we paid an unannounced visit to the pig assembly centre Van Rooi in Lieshout (NL). We were immediately given a tour of the lairage, where sows were being housed at the time. The animals were calm and resting, with enough space to lie on their sides without disturbing one another. The sawdust bedding was clean and fresh, and the overall impression was positive. Van … [Read more...] about Visit to pig assembly centre Van Rooi in Lieshout (NL)
