Investigations by Topics:

08. February 2023

Investigation in France: Calves remain hungry at EU supply station (control post)

Our team is inspecting the condition of the young animals and the loading situation.

The police stop a truck with 200 hungry calves near Besancon (France). This police action is possible due to our cooperation with the French NGO Welfarm and the EU politician Caroline Roose from the Green party.

The night before our investigation team observes the calves from the Czech Republic being unloaded at a supply station in the Alsace.…

31. January 2023

Investigation with the Polish Road Transport Inspection (ITD)

Together with the Polish Road Transportation Inspection (ITD) our team is on the lookout for live transports.

Our team is driving to Wroclaw in Western Poland to support the Road Transport Inspection (ITD) with the inspection of live transports in this area. Surprisingly, this time we do not get to inspect any truck with animals on board. Moreover, we do not observe a single livestock truck (even an empty one) for two consecutive days.

It may seem…

31. December 2022

Successful closure for our projects in Poland

A decade working for the animals: Bogdan, Anna, Nadja, Michal. Vorne Magda, Katarzyna.

It was an act of strength, a continuous commitment for the animals. When we started we could not foresee how long it would take. We started the first of our projects in Poland more than a decade ago: inspection of the horse market in Bodzentyn in the South of Warsaw in a poor region with around 20,000 animal husbandries. Almost every house had a…

30. December 2022

Poland | Swietokrzyskie | Monthly report December: Last days of our Farm Animal Service Team

Marcinkow: The last day of work for our farriers: Michal and Bogan.

Our first visit this month starts on a farm in Szerzawy. Here, we are trimming the hooves of three horses. Recently, the owner bought a mare that has a problem with shortened tendons; therefore, she requires special trimming. Another mare is suffering from hoof canker, and during the trimming, one of her hooves bleeds a lot. To protect the wound,…

14. December 2022

Poland: Live transport inspections together with the Road Transport Police (ITD)

Our team watches the road for live transports together with the Polish road transport police (ITD).

Our team again joins the Road Transport Police (ITD) for animal welfare inspections of live transports. This time we are inspecting live transports crossing Eastern Poland. Two days of joint inspections resulted in interesting observations. Despite very cold weather we inspected national as well as and long-distance transports of live animals.

The…

30. November 2022

Poland | Swietokrzyskie | Monthly report November: Farm Animal Service

Linow: We are taking the puppies to a foster home until they find new owners.

First, our team drove to a farm in Linow to talk with the owners about the puppies which we had found in a dilapidated chicken house a week before. During the conversation, they admitted that they could not afford to keep them all. They asked us to take the puppies with us to find a new home for them, and we agreed to take care of the rehoming if…

03. November 2022

How the scandalous livestock carrier ELBEIK became a ghost ship

In March 2021, the livestock carrier ELBEIK made international headlines: with almost 1,800 young bulls on board, the vessel wandered the Mediterranean for almost three months. The animals were detained on the ELBEIK because of suspected bluetongue virus. 179 animals did not survive the cruel transport, the remaining animals were taken to the…

31. October 2022

Poland | Swietokrzyskie | Monthly report October: Farm Animal Service

Dobruchna: We are trimming the hooves of a lame mare.

This month, our FAS team starts with their work on a farm in Dobruchna. Here, we are looking after a limping mare. During trimming we find an abscess in one of her hooves. Also, on the next farm in Skorzeszyce, another mare is suffering from an abscess. We clean and disinfect the wounds.

Next, we are on our way to Sieradowice. Here, we are…

25. October 2022

BTSF: Training for official veterinarians in the EU on live transports

Our project manager and BTSF-tutor Maria Boada Saña knows from her experience in the field what official veterinarians need to considered during live transport inspections.

This week we were working for the animals as trainers tutors at the Better Training for Safer Food (BTSF)  a European Commission training initiative aimed to improve knowledge about animal welfare. BTSF trains official veterinarians so that they can ensure compliance with and monitor animal protection laws regarding live transports.

Our project…