Investigations by country:

26. March 2023

Easter investigation in Italy: Long-distance transports of lambs

One of the repeated problems is the lack of headspace.

Our investigative teams are on the road once again, this time to inspect trucks carrying lambs to Italy for Easter. Since 2016, we have repeatedly observed the same violations committed by the same transport companies.

This time, we have requested the support of the Italian police five times and were able to assist in four inspections. We have…

20. December 2021

Italy: Inspection of long distance transports of lambs and sheep

Unweaned lambs are being transported over long distances to a slaughterhouse in the middle of Italy.

Together with our partner organisation, Animal Equality Italy, our team is on the lookout for trucks transporting lambs. Together we want to inspect long distance transports of lambs for animal welfare violations. Especially, before the Christian holidays, Easter and Christmas, many lambs are exported to Italy for slaughter. Our teams are on…

27. March 2021

Italy | Altedo | Inspection of a lamb transport from Romania

The drinkers are not suitable for lambs. The animals cannot access any water without assistance.

Our team, accompanied by three members of the Committee of Inquiry on the Protection of Animals during Transport (ANIT), are following a truck from Romania that is in violation of the EU live transport regulation. Therefore, we call the police to stop the truck. At 3:45 p.m. the police manages to stop the transporter in Altedo. The police officers…

26. March 2021

Italy | Florence | Inspection of a lamb transport from Poland

The members of the EU Parliament Thomas Waitz, Caroline Roose, and Tilly Metz are convincing themselves of the transport conditions of live animals in Europe.

Today, our team is accompanied by three members of the European Parliament during today's live transport controls: Tilly Metz, Caroline Roose and Thomas Waitz. The three MEP belong to the Green party and are members of the Committee of Inquiry on the Protection of Animals during Transport (ANIT). They are joining us to gather information about the…

25. March 2021

Italy | Porto Viro | Inspection of a lamb transport from Romania

Our investigation team discusses the animal welfare infringements.

Our team follows a Croatian truck with lambs on board starting at the Slovenian-Italian border. The truck loaded too many lambs. We are informing the highway police. Shortly before the scheduled inspection, the truck leaves the motorway near Venice and continues south on the national road.

It is midnight when the Italian police officers, the…

01. February 2021

Poland | Nowy Targ | Live transport: Justice for lambs

The national news are reporting about the verdict. Our attorney is being interviewed about the case by the news magazine "Fakty".

Every year before Easter, Italy imports thousands of lambs for slaughter. Our team has been investigating the trade and violations against animal welfare during transport for half a decade. Together with the Polish animal welfare organisation, VIVA, we started a trial in 2018 against the organiser of one of these transports and the official…

20. September 2019

Rome, Freising | EU training course on animal welfare during transport

We were invited to this course as experts to present the problems observed during live animal exports.

In March (12th-15th) and September (17th-20th) the first and second edition of an advanced level training course on animal welfare during transport took place in Rome (Italy) and Freising (Germany). The two four-day training courses were organised by "Better Training for Safer Food" (BTSF), an initiative by the European Commission. 

Attendants of…

17. April 2019

Slovenia, Italy | Transport of lambs

Italian police stopping a Hungarian truck with lambs.

Every year before Easter, Italy imports tens of thousands of lambs for slaughter, mainly from Romania and Hungary. AWF|TSB teams check on the transport conditions, supported by the Italian animal welfare organisation ENPA. We inspect a total of eleven trucks, three of them together with the Italian police. All three are in breach of the EU animal…

18. March 2016

Poland | Highway Poland-Italy | Transport of lambs

[Translate to English:] Ein Lamm hat ein Bein zwischen dem Boden und der Wand eingeklemmt, was eine hohe Verletzungsgefahr darstellt.

We follow a long-distance transport of lambs from a sale in southern Poland to a slaughterhouse in Italy. The truck carries 700 lambs and is loaded on four decks. The headspace is insufficient and several of the taller animals touch the ceiling with their heads. The lambs are of different sizes and ages. We assume that at least part of them are…