At the beginning of February, we observe less animals than usual during our inspection of the Bodzentyn cattle market. We suspect that the reason for the small number of animals at the market is due to the very low temperatures reaching minus 17˚C. However, during next inspections we observe that the number of animals is slightly increasing. We…

Together with our North American partners, the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition and Animals’ Angels USA, we have been documenting the horse feedlots at the Bouvry slaughterhouse in Alberta for many years. Here, thousands of horses are fattened with grain feed to their maximum slaughter weight. Our previous investigations have uncovered tremendous…

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…

Our team is investigating the cattle market in Bodzentyn. In January, we document more traders and animals than during the previous months. This circumstance is probably related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, the government decided to support Polish farmers by temporarily suspending the entry fee to animal markets.

During our market…

The information about our support for animals in need during the COVID-19 pandemic spreads very quickly in the region. In January, our team receives a lot of calls from animal owners asking for help.

First, our team visits the owner of two female dogs who has been reported by her neighbours due to excessive breeding. We were informed that both…

The COVID-19 Pandemic hit Poland hard. This also has an impact on the animals that are living in the poorest region of Poland. This is where our team is active. In December, we decided that we will extend our animal welfare work that is usually focused on farm animals to dogs and cats for a couple of months. We will be supporting animals in need…

Due to Christmas, we expect more animals at the Bodzentyn cattle market in December. However, our team finds that the number of cattle remains at its usual amount - about 150 animals. During our market inspection we do not observe any injured or neglected animals. The atmosphere during the market days is very calm.

At the horse market in…

Due to the very low temperatures this month, the cattle trade did end much earlier than usual. Some traders decided not to unload the animals from their lorries to protect them from the cold. During our inspection we see mostly calves, young cattle and just very few cows. This time we do not observe any animal welfare violations.

Next, our team is…

Today, a court case regarding a transport of unweaned calves from Poland to Spain that was carried out back in 2018 has been resolved.

Our team stopped a transport of calves in Germany together with the help of the German police. The transport was just on its way from Poland to a control post in France. Back in 2018, the German authorities…