CHERRY HILL, N.J. - July 31, 2019 -They can be in transit for days, suffering extremes of temperature and often without sufficient food, water or rest. Many die as a result. Animals also feel pain and stress just like we do.
Canada transports farm animals thousands of miles within its borders as well as to the US. They experience exceptionally harsh conditions as the climate changes from freezing cold to scorching sun. The trucks used are often unheated with no air conditioning.
In Europe, around six million farm animals are transported across many countries with some journeys taking three days or more.
Australia exports around four million live sheep every year, mostly to the Middle East every year. They may have travelled up to 50 hours by road to get to the sea port. This is followed by a journey of up to three weeks by sea and a further journey by road at the other end. Shockingly, around 40,000 sheep die every year before they reach their destination. Despite the implementation of an export supply chain assurance scheme by the Australian government, investigations by animal welfare groups have documented terrible suffering at slaughter after export.
In India cattle are transported across the continent as there are only two states where the slaughter of cows is legal. Animals are also often brutally treated and overcrowded during transport, resulting in severe injuries and fatalities.
Every year, thousands of animals are exported from South America to be reared for beef production in Asia and Africa. These journeys can often involve the animals spending weeks at sea and result in the animals being slaughtered in inhumane conditions. When welfare problems do occur, they can often be disastrous.
The Middle East is one of the world's biggest importers of live animals, with animals coming from as far afield as Eastern Europe, South America and Australia. On arrival, these animals are often subject to poor welfare and inhumane slaughter.
By law, all farm animals can be transported for a full 28 hours without food, water or rest. Loading and unloading can add hours to the time animals are in transit and are not included in the 28 hours. With a written request, sheep can even be transported for 36 hours.
Don Lichterman, from the Sustainable Action Network (SAN) urges for there to be changes made to transportation regulations. "I'll never forget the time I was driving down to Virginia via the Route 13 route and I drove along side a truck transporting chickens in those crates on the 18 wheeler, "says Don Lichterman from his home in Cherry hill, New Jersey. (Don) Lichterman continues to say that "after a bunch of miles driving down south on the highway near the truck, it suddenly turned off into what I see is the Tyson Chicken Factory entrance and I realize just that they are being delivered to be slaughtered for resale for consumption". "I was mortified," says Lichterman, "that is just my worst nightmare". "If it is not bad enough to watch these animals being transported in this way that no doubt traumatizes them to the very end, they are also being delivered to be killed in what are pretty sick ways which of course adds insult to injury so to speak."
"People from all over the world are looking to Israel to pass this important legislation" says Don Lichterman.
For the full post, follow this link, https://donlichterman.blogspot.com/2019/01/hundreds-of-millions-of-live-farm_21.html
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