Dear EU and MS authorities, official highway inspectors and police, transporters and NGO colleagues,
During one of our practical training courses for road inspectors in Poland, a livestock truck was stopped. There were several violations to the EC 1/2005. It concerned a poultry truck from the Polish company Lech Drob (they own trucks and a slaughterhouse in northern Poland). The birds on board had been loaded on a farm in the Netherlands. Many of the birds that we could see in the outer rows were dead. The birds were seriously overcrowded (17 per crate instead of the 14 max) and the so-called ” water-system” was leaking.
The Polish authorities that participated in this training are inquiring further and applying sanctions where necessary to the Polish transporter and we have asked the Dutch authorities to look into the Dutch keeper of the birds (farmer) and catching crew in the Netherlands responsible for the horrible overcrowding.
We do not expect you to do anything, it is just for your information.
With best wishes, on behalf of Eyes on Animals and TSB|AWF
Posted on July 14, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
As many of you will be aware, live animal transport is still probably our greatest campaign – you can read a bit more about our history in this field at ‘About Us’ – https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/about-us/ and which shows that live animal transport investigations were being undertaken at least 15 years before SAV was even founded !
The EU has a lot of legislation supposedly to protect the welfare of animals in transport. The main regulation is 1/2005 – which SHOULD be enforced by all member states of the EU.
Here is a link to the regulation (1/2005) to show just how detailed things should be; and which we have to know fully when undertaking animal transport investigation work.
We have recently shown that the EU fails miserably to enforce regulations which should protect animals in transport. Here are links to just a few of our recent posts which show where the EU is failing the animals:
Our good friend Lesley at ‘Eyes on Animals’ in the Netherlands has produced an excellent and very detailed presentation video relating to Regulation 1/2005 and how the EU is failing animals by not enforcing the legislation.
Here below you can read Lesley’s into to the video, and then have a look for yourself.
As we have said, the Regulation is very detailed and this is borne out by the length of this video. Over the years we have made contact with the EU very many times relating to live animal transport. The importance of access to livestock being carried is one of the most important factors when carrying live animals.
Dear EU and Member State authorities, highway police, livestock-transport companies and livestock-truck manufacturers and fellow colleagues of animal-welfare NGOs,
During our inspections of livestock-trucks we are often confronted with vehicles that have received a Certificate of Approval of Means of Transport by Road of Live Animals but that in reality are not appropriate. Sometimes the water system on board is not the correct design for the specie and age of the animals on board and yet this limitation is not indicated on the Certificate. For example, we continue to see adult cattle transport in livestock trucks with only metal nipples. Cattle needs large and deep troughs in the corners. This may seem like a small mistake, but as the Certificate is valid for 5 years, it results in many cattle suffering from thirst during transport and some even dying.
We also continue to see partitions that are poorly designed and cause animal injuries, such as when they are not solid to the ground. In the gap we find sheep, calves, adult cattle trapped underneath and as a consequence many become trampled to death. It is a horrible sight to see.
The good news is that these problems can easily be solved if the livestock trucks are correctly checked before handing out the certificate of approval. Design adjustments can be made on time, or limitations can be indicated in the Certificate of Approval, before live animals are loaded!
For this reason Eyes on Animals was invited by the Dutch authorities at the NVWA to give a presentation on this topic a few months ago. We gave this “course” together with our colleagues from TSB|AWF and it was a successful and also positive day.
I am writing to you now because Dr. Tea Dronjic and I have now made a video of this educational course so that everyone can watch it via youtube.
Please take a look and feel free to pass it on to any colleagues that could also benefit from watching it:
Should you have any questions, or should you wish to have us come in person to also give a live presentation to you and colleagues, do not hesitate to contact us.
Posted on July 13, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Cruelty Conviction
A Foster Farms slaughterhouse employee caught torturing chickens has been convicted of criminal animal cruelty. The conviction stems from a recent Mercy For Animals hidden-camera investigation.
by Lina Cohen – July 6, 2016
Yesterday, Gabriel Cevallos, a Foster Farms employee, was convicted for criminal animal abuse after being caught on hidden camera ripping out fistfuls of feathers from live birds, repeatedly hitting a bird with a severed chicken leg, and tossing live birds around like basketballs. Cevallos pled no contest to one count of criminal animal cruelty. His conviction stems from a 2015 Mercy For Animals undercover investigation at a Foster Farms chicken slaughterhouse in Fresno, California, which revealed birds scalded alive and several Foster Farms employees punching, throwing, and slamming birds.
Cevallos was sentenced by the Fresno County Superior Court to three years of probation and a fine of $600, and is required to attend 12 sessions of mental health counseling.
Although animal abuse is pervasive in Foster Farms’ poultry supply chain, American Humane Association has certified Foster Farms—one of the largest poultry producers in the country—as “humane.” AHA’s standards, which cover more than 1 billion animals, are far less stringent than those of virtually every other humane certification program. In fact, AHA standards barely exceed the minimal standards set by the factory farming industry itself. In other words, these standards are essentially meaningless.
MFA is calling on Foster Farms and AHA to stop misleading the public and implement meaningful animal welfare requirements, including replacing live-shackle slaughter methods with less cruel systems that eliminate the appalling suffering caused by dumping, shackling, shocking, and slitting the throats of conscious animals. Additionally, birds should be provided with more space, clean litter, access to adequate light, and environmental enrichments. Video monitoring systems that live stream to the internet should also be installed to deter future violence against animals.
Last week, Perdue Foods, one of the nation’s largest poultry producers, announced a precedent-setting animal welfare policy. MFA is calling on AHA and Foster Farms to stop paying lip service to animal welfare and do the same.
Convictions send an important message that animal cruelty will not be tolerated. The best way to protect animals, however, is not to eat them. Visit ChooseVeg.com to get started with some tips and recipes.
————————————————-
Washington Post – Meat Is Horrible
by Joe Loria – July 5, 2016
“Meat is horrible,” a new article in The Washington Post, highlights the negative impacts of a Western diet.
Author Rachel Premack discusses the environmental, ecological, and health reasons Americans must give up or cut back on meat. Featuring multiple graphs, her compelling argument destroys common myths and seems to support a meat tax.
Premack writes:
By 2050, scientists forecast that emissions from agriculture alone will account for how much carbon dioxide the world can use to avoid catastrophic global warming. It already accounts for one-third of emissions today — and half of that comes from livestock.
She also notes that it takes “48 times as many liters of water to produce the same amount of beef as veggies” and we could save “a collective $730 billion in health care by reducing meat consumption.”
The debate over climate change and animal agriculture’s role in it is over. We know how raising animals for food damages our planet, and it’s time world leaders took action.
In the meantime, you can help protect the planet, your health, and animals by switching to a plant-based diet.
Click here to order your FREE Vegetarian Starter Guide
Posted on June 29, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
We had to include this flag just to show what a complete joke EU animal welfare is.
UPDATE 30/6/16 – – we have now had confirmation that our message asking Mr Van Goethem to resign has been received and read. Will anything happen ? – most probably not; but until the useless EU steps up to the plate and takes action we will continue to hassle.
Your message
To: VAN GOETHEM Bernard (SANTE)
Subject: Resign now and dont let animals continue to suffer !
Sent: 29 June 2016 16:50:34 (UTC+01:00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris
was read on 30 June 2016 11:59:52 (UTC+01:00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris.
Your message
To: PRATS MONNE Xavier (SANTE)
Subject: Resign now and dont let animals continue to suffer !
Sent: 29 June 2016 16:50:34 (UTC+01:00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris
was read on 29 June2016 16:51:27 (UTC+01:00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris.
————————————————————–
Below you will find a typical useless EU example of why many people in the UK decided to leave the EU. Bernard Van Goethem and the others are people who in reality do nothing, whilst at the same time preach the rules of EU Regulation 1/2005 on the welfare of animals in transport. All the time animals suffer whilst these incompetents are in charge.
We call on Mr Van Goethem to resign from his pathetic no action position immediately.
You can send a copy of this post directly to him at
Bernard.Van-Goethem@ec.europa.eu
Copy to xavier.prats-monne@ec.europa.eu
—————————————————————-
Dear Bernard van Goethem, and for the attention of director general of SANTE Mr. Xavier Prats Monne,
Since 2010 we have been sending detailed reports, photos and videos to the Commission of our observations of livestock consignments coming from throughout the EU and trying to enter Turkey and warning that this route is a mess.
On June 3rd 2016, roughly one month ago, York Ditfurth, Director of TSB|AWF and myself, Director of Eyes on Animals, met with you and your team in Brussels to again explicitly ask for your help to do everything in your capacity to put an end to the on-going non-compliance and suffering of animals on this route.
As you knew, the only control post in Bulgaria was again closed, this time due to Lumpy Skin disease and the one in Romania would be full. We informed you of the frustration officials from Member States felt, not receiving clear and prompt instructions from the EU Commission on what action they could and should take. You promised to improve and increase communication with the Member States to instruct them on what to do to avoid any crisis again this summer.
For the past week Eyes on Animals and TSB|AWF have been at the Kapitain Andreevo (BG)/Kapikule (TR) border. We are still there now. Since arriving on June 23rd there has not been a moment of rest. The situation is the worst it has ever been. Just yesterday 55 EU animal trucks passed the Bulgarian Exit Post. Four pregnant heifers from Germany have already given birth on board the trucks and many animals from different origins are dead inside the trucks. We have seen several journey logs with this scribbled on them, in Bulgarian:
“Journey time exceeded! Planning not adhered to! Due to the complicated epizootic situation in Bulgaria, the animals continue the journey in accordance with art. 23 of Reg. 1/2005.”
It is totally unacceptable for the Bulgarian authorities to ignore breaches of 1/2005 that have taken place and that will probably take place once the animals leave the EU by relying on Article 23 on a regular basis.
Article 23 is designed to deal with emergencies; Article 23.2(d) should not be used to regularly allow non-complaint consignments to continue to their destination in Turkey.
It is impossible to comply with 1/2005 at the border. Article 3(a) provides that all necessary arrangements must be made “in advance to minimise the length of the journey and meet animals’ needs during the journey”. Article 3(f) provides that the transport must be “carried out without delay to the place of destination and the welfare conditions of the animals [must be] regularly checked and appropriately maintained”. Article 22.2 provides that “If any consignment of animals has to be detained during transport for more than two hours, the competent authority shall ensure that appropriate arrangements are made for the care of the animals and, where necessary, their feeding, watering, unloading and accommodation.” As it is impossible to comply with these provisions Member States of departure should not at this stage approve journey logs for export to Turkey.
We politely insist that you take immediate personal contact with the Bulgarian authorities so that, as of immediately, no more EU livestock trucks are allowed to exit the EU at this border crossing, leaving the animals to a horrendous fate beyond the EU control.
The letter you sent out only yesterday to the CVOs is sadly too late, and we are worried that the bureaucracy of leaving communication of such an important nature to emails will result in more delay to get any significant changes in the field now. This route cannot handle the volume of animals, and the temperatures are soaring and the infrastucture lacking.
I would like to request a response at your earliest convenience,
Lesley Moffat
Lesley Moffat, MSc Ethology Eyes on Animals – Director
Posted on June 28, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
It all started while I was working with abused children in grouphomes. There, I witnessed the severity of emotional pain and suffering and helped the young generation express their pain and heal through hip-hop music – by running a music therapy program for abused children.
Abused animals are much like abused children.
They hurt. They suffer. They cry. They show their teeth when they are forced in a corner and pushed beyond their limits. They feel, they laugh, they love. Just because they cannot express themselves in a way that the world can easily understand it does not mean they are dumb, unemotional and undeserving of normal life.
They deserve freedom, dignity and love as much as anyone else on this planet.
I speak for the animals but also for all those who care about them. There are many of us who love animals and take action to help them. We refuse to view animals as human property. We don’t eat animals, we feed them. We don’t abuse animals, we protect them. And we do our best to stop those who hurt them. We respect animals’ coexistence with us on this planet.
Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 