Spare Animals on Irish Farms a Voyage of Despair

During live export, frightened animals are forced onto crowded lorries or ships and transported for days or even weeks to be slaughtered at foreign abattoirs or used as breeding machines on farms overseas.

When they reach these facilities, they’re often treated in ways that that would be illegal in their home country, and all of them meet a terrifying, gruesome end.

In 2022, over 9,000 cows were exported from Ireland to countries as far away as Algeria, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, or Turkey. The journeys can take upwards of nine days, during which the animals are trapped in filthy conditions and extreme temperatures. Animal welfare legislation in the destination countries is either non-existent or not enforced, and the animals who survive the journey are subjected to a slow, painful death by excruciating methods that may include being stabbed in the eyes, strung up by the leg, and slashed in the throat or tendons. Some suffer for 30 minutes before they die.

Even babies are not spared. In the same year, over 150,000 calves aged between 15 and 21 days old were forced to make the long, harrowing journey from Ireland to Europe. Most were unwanted male calves from the dairy industry. During the torturous journey, they are left without food and water for up to 30 hours, which can cause them to lose significant body weight, and some fall victim to illnesses like pneumonia or suffer from diarrhoea due to their underdeveloped immune system.

Further to animal welfare concerns, shipping animals thousands of miles contributes to the climate catastrophe and risks spreading disease, which could cause the next pandemic.

Please speak out against this cruelty: contact Ireland’s minister for agriculture, food and the marine to tell him that live export is cruel and must end.

View Message +

Minister

Martin

Heydon

Government of Ireland

Dear Minister:

I was deeply alarmed to learn that animals are subjected to immense and prolonged suffering during live export from Ireland to other EU countries and beyond, including China. Now that Great Britain has banned the live export of animals, please follow suit by ending all live exports from Ireland.

Transporting pigs halfway around the world to be used as breeding machines in China – where there are no laws to protect animals on farms – causes the animals immense suffering. Further to animal welfare concerns, flying animals thousands of miles contributes to the climate catastrophe that others are working hard to mitigate and risks spreading disease, which could even cause the next pandemic.

In 2022, over 150,000 calves between 15 and 21 days old were forced to make the long, harrowing journey from Ireland to mainland Europe, and more than 9,000 cows were exported from Ireland to countries including Algeria, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, and Turkey.

Reports have shown that animals transported within the EU and beyond are forced to endure temperatures of up to 41.5 degrees, sometimes for days at a time. They commonly exhibit signs of exhaustion, and if they even reach their destination alive, they’ll likely be slaughtered by methods illegal in Ireland.

Live export is cruel, and public opinion is against it. Please do the right thing for animals and end all live export from Ireland.

Sincerely,

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Spare Animals on Irish Farms a Voyage of Despair

During live export, frightened animals are forced onto crowded lorries or ships and transported for days or even weeks to be slaughtered at foreign abattoirs or used as breeding machines on farms overseas.

When they reach these facilities, they’re often treated in ways that that would be illegal in their home country, and all of them meet a terrifying, gruesome end.

Please speak out against this cruelty: contact Ireland’s minister for agriculture, food and the marine to tell him that live export is cruel and must end.

Send Your Message

Thank You for Speaking Out for Animals on Farms