VGT uncovers: 1250 km of calf transport of unweaned calves from Tyrolean organic mountain farm to slaughterhouse in Apulia
Sending calves to southern Italy just to be slaughtered is madness and clearly means subjecting them to unnecessary suffering. As is so often the case, economic reasons are mercilessly given priority over the welfare of the calves. This scandalous practice must be stopped.
Hagen Schwarz, VGT
Vienna (OTS) – It was only in August 2023 that the ASSOCIATION AGAINST TIERFABRIKEN (VGT) uncovered a 2-day transport of two Tyrolean dairy calves aged 4-5 weeks to a slaughterhouse in the southern Italian province of Avellino, near Naples. Now, long-distance transport of two calves of the same age – we call them Laura and Lisa – has once again been proven. This time, however, the calves came from a Tyrolean organic mountain farm. Their death journey went through a collection point in Bergheim near Salzburg and ended in a slaughterhouse near Bari in Apulia.
About the video: Scandal: long-distance transport of calves
The transport of the two dairy calves began on Monday, January 29th, 2024 at an organic mountain farm in the Kitzbühel district. At this point, calf Laura was only three and a half weeks old and Lisa was only four weeks old. From there they were taken to the collection point in Bergheim near Salzburg. After a long wait at the truck, the animals that had not yet been weaned were transported on. The route took them over a distance of around 500 km to a waiting stable in Gonzaga, in the northern Italian province of Mantua. Another 750 km south, in a slaughterhouse in Palo del Colle near Bari, their torturous transport came to a cruel end on Thursday, February 1st.
Organic products are no better than conventional animal products in terms of transport and slaughter
Although Laura and Lisa come from an organic mountain farm, that didn’t save them from a long, painful transport of calves and a brutal slaughter when they were babies in southern Italy. VGT campaigner Isabell Eckl: “Many people choose organic products because they think that the animals are better off than with conventional animal products. This is only true to a limited extent, namely when it comes to posture. However, the separation of mother cow and calf, the transport and slaughter, as well as the suffering associated with it, are no different. The consumer is actually being misled here.”
The ASSOCIATION AGAINST TIERFABRIKEN demands that when it comes to organic animal products, the entire life of the animals involved, but also the animals that are seen by the industry as “by-products”, such as calves or chicks in particular, must be better than with conventional animal products. After all, consumers of organic products are willing to pay more for animal welfare. With organic dairy products, care must also be taken to ensure that the calves that are not used to produce milk can have a good life – compared to conventional dairy calves – and where the calf ultimately ends up.
Transporting calves to slaughter abroad must be prohibited
A 1200 km long transport abroad for slaughter has nothing to do with animal welfare and must be banned, both for organic and conventional animal products. Unfortunately, the tragic fate of Laura and Lisa is not an isolated case. What happened to them happens regularly to calves not needed by the dairy industry. Although most of them first end up on fully slatted floors in fattening sheds in Italy, Spain, Poland or Hungary before they are slaughtered, there can be no talk of “animal welfare” in these destinations either.
VGT campaigner Hagen Schwarz: “Sending calves to southern Italy just to be slaughtered is madness and clearly means subjecting them to unnecessary suffering. As is so often the case, economic reasons are mercilessly given priority over the welfare of the calves. This scandalous practice must be stopped.
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The VGT calls on the government, especially Minister Totschnig and Minister Rauch, to put a stop to the transport of calves abroad, both for fattening and for slaughter.
In this context, the ASSOCIATION AGAINST ANIMAL FACTORIES organized a demonstration on Thursday evening together with RespekTiere in Bergheim near Salzburg under the motto “Stop transporting calves, animals are not goods!”
Pressefotos (Copyright: VGT.at)
Questions & Contact:
VGT – ASSOCIATION AGAINST ANIMAL FACTORIES
Isabell Eckl
0677 63724450
media@vgt.at
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