• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • EYES ON ANIMALS – Watching out for their Welfare
  • English
  • Nederlands
  • Deutsch

Eyes on Animals

Watching out for their Welfare

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
DONATE
  • About us
    • What we do
    • Our team
    • Key Figures
    • Our Vision
    • Contact
  • News
    • Latest news
    • Good news
    • Bad news
    • Featured news
    • Subscribe to our newsletter
  • Inspections
    • Farms
    • Markets
    • Transports
    • Slaughterhouses
    • Special projects
    • Other
  • Training
    • Police
    • Truck drivers
    • Poultry-catchers
    • Slaughter personnel
    • Training Material
    • Request a training
  • Industry Tips
    • Animal transport
      • Cattle
      • Pigs
      • Poultry
    • Slaughterhouses
      • Cattle
      • Pigs
      • Poultry
      • Ritual slaughter
    • Educational videos
  • Publications
    • In the media
      • Print
      • Television
      • Radio
      • Videos
    • Newsletters
    • Special reports
    • Training Material
    • Annual reviews
  • Help us
Home » News » VanDrie Group ignores continuous violations in calf imports

VanDrie Group ignores continuous violations in calf imports

September 6, 2023

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 beaten at resting places in France. A significant portion of these calves is imported by the VanDrie Group.

This year, together with L214 and EFI, we documented the exact same violations once again: calves are deprived of milk for extended periods and subjected to mistreatment at resting places. In July of this year, the Irish television channel RTE extensively covered this issue, resulting in significant public outrage in Ireland, France, and the Netherlands. An extensive article was also dedicated to this matter by the Dutch TV program Zembla.

Despite immediately informing the VanDrie Group of our findings and providing them with RTE’s report, we have yet to receive any response from them. Despite being aware that the importation does not comply with European animal welfare standards, VanDrie has once again imported thousands of calves this year. Previous promises to improve animal welfare levels at markets, control posts and during transport have also been poorly or barely upheld. We are deeply disappointed in the passive stance of this market leader in veal production.

Watch this in-depth documentary on Irish television by RTE who was with us in the field
  • share 
  • share 
  • share 
  • save 
  • email 

Filed Under: Bad news, News Tagged With: animal transport, live animal transports, unweaned calves

Primary Sidebar

Search

Featured

As small slaughterhouses disappear, transport distances increase

Eyes on Animals is observing a troubling trend: transport distances for culled cows and sows are … [Read More...] about As small slaughterhouses disappear, transport distances increase

Featured

Dutch transport company Van Os implicated in serious transport fraud involving Irish calves

May 8, 2025

Once again, serious violations have been uncovered in the transport of calves from Ireland. Last … [Read More...] about Dutch transport company Van Os implicated in serious transport fraud involving Irish calves

Our most recent newsletter

Dear friends,

It’s not every day that an animal-welfare organization takes on the challenge of redesigning a large pig slaughterhouse and their animal handling techniques, but that’s exactly what we did in 2020.

Read more…

Subscribe to our newsletter

Subscribe

* indicates required

Eyes on Animals op Twitter

eyes_on_animals Eyes on Animals @eyes_on_animals ·
10 Jul

👍 🐖 Vanaf 15 augustus gaat de NVWA handhaven tegen slachthuizen die groepen varkens mengen bij aankomst in het slachthuis. Dit laat de NVWA zelf weten.
- Verbod op het mengen van varkens in slachthuizen | Vleesmagazine #varkens #slacht

Reply on Twitter 1943349467253453184 Retweet on Twitter 1943349467253453184 7 Like on Twitter 1943349467253453184 21 Twitter 1943349467253453184
nrc NRC @nrc ·
10 Jul

Demissionair Landbouw-minister Femke Wiersma (BBB) heeft onterecht verhinderd dat uitstootgegevens van veehouderijen openbaar werden gemaakt. Volgens de rechtbank Overijssel wilde ze die publicatie vertragen. De rechter spreekt van „misbruik van bevoegdheden”.…

Reply on Twitter 1943267746659160155 Retweet on Twitter 1943267746659160155 99 Like on Twitter 1943267746659160155 165 Twitter 1943267746659160155
eyes_on_animals Eyes on Animals @eyes_on_animals ·
9 Jul

🐖 Wat een walgelijke mensen zijn er toch!
- Illegale varkensstal ontdekt in Houthulst met 50 uitgehongerde varkens en biggen: mogelijke link met opgerold drugslab | VRT NWS: nieuws

Reply on Twitter 1943023868223852800 Retweet on Twitter 1943023868223852800 73 Like on Twitter 1943023868223852800 134 Twitter 1943023868223852800
Load More...

ANBI

Footer

Donate with Paypal

Paypal Eyes on Animals
One-time donation:
Monthly donation:

Reading Material

  • In the Media
  • Newsletters
  • Special EonA reports
  • Legislative texts
  • ANBI

Our Amsterdam Office

Amsterdam House Hotel
Eyes on Animals main office is in downtown Amsterdam, at the Amsterdam House Hotel. The generous and warm-hearted hotel owner donated to Eyes on Animals, free of charge, a beautiful room where our inspectors can work, hold meetings and store their material.

Copyright © 2025 · Eyes on Animals | Website by Webkompaan