VIDEO | Traveling to the slaughterhouse in extreme heat:the shocking images

The video investigation byessereanimali on the death routes of pigs and sheep in violation of European laws.Trucks from Spain headed to Italian slaughterhouses

ROME – Left under the sun in motorway service car parks, without water, with fans off and internal temperatures above 45°.They are gasping, foaming at the mouth, showing real suffering, not to mention that they have traveled hundreds of kilometers aboard trucks and, shortly thereafter, pigs and sheep will find their planned death in the slaughterhouses of'Emilia and of Marche.The images of such cruelty are spread by the activists of Animal Beings, authors of a new video investigation on the journeys of death from farms to slaughterhouses.And this time the drivers who run on the roads are in the sights Italian highways.

“Violation of European laws and unnecessary cruelty, these are the characteristic features of live animal transport in Europe.And this year too, Italy is no exception."These days, explains a note, the investigative team ofessereanimali documented the conditions in which animals transported for food consumption in Italy travel in July, also intercepting a truck coming from Spain.

THE ROUTES TO THE SLAUGHTERHOUSES ON THE A1, A14 AND A4

Activists monitored the trafficking between Lodi and Faenza on the A1 and A14, and between Brescia and Montebello Vicentino on the A4, “identifying in several cases trucks loaded with animals with internal temperatures above 45 degrees”.Even more serious is the episode involving the driver of a truck "who stopped to have lunch, around Reggio Emilia, abandoning the animals for a long time under the scorching sun and with the fans turned off, despite being just a few minutes away from the final destination, the slaughterhouse".

THE LAW:“DO NOT CAUSE INJURY OR UNNECESSARY SUFFERING TO THE ANIMALS”

The work carried out by the ÈAnimali team “showed again very serious violations with a truck of heavy pigs left in the sun with an internal temperature of 48 degrees. The animals were gasping for air, frothing at the mouth, showed clear signs of suffering and a high respiratory rate, all within a few minutes of the slaughter and in total violation of the regulations, which involves going to the final destination without delay and not causing unnecessary injury or suffering to the animals,” he reports Chiara Caprio, Head of Institutional Relations atessereanimali.“Also on other occasions where we have monitored domestic travel, which often covers thethe A1 motorway towards the slaughterhouses of Emilia-Romagna, we have documented similar situations and recurring problems which both the Italian government and European legislation are unable to remedy, also due to inadequate and obsolete laws".

“EU REGULATION WITH LARGE GRAY AREA, UPDATE IS URGENT”

The proposal is currently under review European Commission for an update Regulation No.1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport.“The current legislation creates a vast unregulated gray area and in fact does not allow us to intervene appropriately when animal welfare is not respected”, denouncesessereanimali.“The laws in fact only include vague statements on the need for means of transport to be able to protect animals from 'extreme temperatures', but there is a lack of clear and timely indications on the subject of temperatures, in particular totally ignoring national transport and without taking into account consideration of other very important aspects such as humidity levels", continue the activists.
Even in the case of long-distance travel "a problematic picture still emerges":the team atessereanimali found that it was “up to par Fiorenzuola d'Arda (Piacenza) an articulated lorry that was transporting 273 adult sheep from Spain, with an internal temperature of 36 degrees, above the limit allowed by EU legislation, which in the case of long journeys it provides a maximum tolerance of 5 degrees above the limit of 30“.The truck was headed to a Ancona slaughterhouse.

The reality documented by the investigators ofessereanimalidemonstrates“once again that the provisions implemented by the Ministry of Health, like the supplementary note which has been issued for a few years and which in 2024 was published on 15 July, they are not effective in practice."All this despite the good intentions and the importance of raising awareness on the part of the ministry towards all the authorities responsible for official controls, ATS first and foremost.

“ADAPTING ANIMAL TRANSPORT RULES TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS”

"Unfortunately EU legislation is incomplete, especially as regards national travel, and shows all its limits even in the case of long-distance summer transport", continues Chiara Caprio, "the issue of temperatures is a crucial issue on which there is much discussion at European level, with some countries that want to block important improvements for animals.However, our investigations clearly show the need for act to change this legislation and make it more suitable for the climate crisis, as temperatures rise and above all to better protect the animals still involved in food production and subjected to this useless and continuous suffering".
Together with Eurogroup for Animals,essereanimali requests that “the transport of live animals over long distances (greater than 8 hours) be prohibited;clear references are also introduced for temperatures (taking into account humidity) and for transport methods also for national journeys;some fundamental parameters are clearly defined, such as specific conditions for species and category of animals, which take into consideration the suitability for transport, as well as the availability of space and the method of water administration".