Live animals, including babies and pregnant animals, are transported hundreds or even thousands of miles in dangerous conditions in all weather extremes, causing distress, injuries, and disease. They can be in transit for days, often without sufficient food, water, or rest. Many die as a result.
Animals commonly have to endure excessively long journeys and severe crowding and may be left waiting in lorries at ports for hours and hours. In addition to routine suffering, long-distance live transport can also result in fires, and ships may sink, causing the suffering and deaths of large numbers of animals. Most recently, in November 2019, over 14,000 sheep drowned when a ship capsized shortly after leaving port.
Transporting live animals thousands of miles in cramped, filthy conditions is also a major cause of the spread of zoonotic diseases around the globe – from foot-and-mouth disease and avian influenza to SARS.
The live-export trade is dangerous and cruel, and it must be stopped.