Animals\' Angels - wir sind bei den Tieren | we are there with the animals

Today the mobile clinic of Animals’ Angels stops in Wola SzczygieÅ?kowa to correct the hooves of mares Kamea (7 years old) and Rozalja (6 months old). In Brody we carry out hoof corrections on seven horses: mare SÅ?awa (8 years), mare Zawoda (5 years), mare Geneza (6 years), stallion Gniew (8 months), stallion Szlachcic (9 months), mare Erremitka (6 months), mare Ekiba (1 ½ years). In addition, we give the owner advice and suggestions for better treatment of his horses.

In collaboration with the Italian animal welfare organization LAV, Animals’ Angels conducts two theoretical courses for approximately 65 police officers in Catania in which they are informed of the provisions for the protection of animals during transport. We thank the participating officers for their interest.

ANDA and Animals’ Angels inspect the market in Torrelavega. The veterinarians conduct an arrival inspection of all animals at market. Still the veterinarians miss Maxi, a calf just a few weeks old that is obviously sick and can barely keep upright and is pushed and kicked through the hall by its owner. The team composed of Animals’ Angels and ANDA intervenes, holds back the owner and informs the market employees and the veterinarians. Maxi is then taken to the market sick bay and put to sleep. ANDA and Animals’ Angels give the market management information materials on animal welfare at market for the market users, which were drawn up together with the RSPCA International and the Spanish market association ASEMGA. Management shows the team plans for the alteration of the market which is supposed to simplify the handling of the animals. The handling in particular is still quite problematic at this market. Animals’ Angels will increase inspections at this market in the coming year.

Animals’ Angels investigators trailed a shipment of ‘veal’ calves from the Chapman auction in Abbotsford, British Columbia to a feedlot in Pincher Creek, Alberta. Transportation of the calves took approximately 11 hours, a relatively short amount of time as the driver made minimal stops on route. The route traverses the Rocky Mountain range between BC and Alberta and this particular shipment was fortunate as the weather remained moderate throughout, only dropping below zero at the points of highest altitude. The investigators visited the feedlot following the arrival and spoke with farm management and observed the condition of the calves. The calves had been placed in individual stalls and provided bedding, grain, and milk replacer. Unfortunately, the investigators, whose visit took place eight hours after the arrival of the load, found a calf that had arrived in poor condition and was left dying outside the stall area. Investigators also found another calf that had died in a group pen, the cause of which is unknown. The transport of young calves and culled ‘dairy’ cows the long distances from BC to Alberta or further east represents a treacherous journey for these easily compromised animals and will continue to be monitored by Animals’ Angels.

Animals’ Angels inspector follows a truck with sheep in full wool along a major highway to the live export registered feedlot. Some of the sheep are unable to rise because there are too many in the pens, and the numbers should have been reduced because the animals are in full wool. The state inspectors at the Animal Welfare Unit are called asking if inspectors could inspect the trucks as they arrive at the live export feedlot for compliance to state legislation. There was no inspectors available as one was off sick the other doing paperwork. Again, no enforcement of animal welfare legislation by either the state or AQIS. On our way back, at the corner of the highway and Watkins Road we find the hoof and upper leg from a cow or bull. The leg with its black ’hair’ has tendons still visible, the blood has not turned black and a long length of skin is still attached. This may be an indication the lower leg was torn off from the animal whilst still on the truck.

Today an EU inspection took place at the horse market in Bodzentyn. The Animals’ Angels team finds that for this reason there were only few animals at market and all of those who have no documentation for the horses or inadequate transporters, are not present today. At the Animals’ Angels station we corrected the hooves of four horses: gelding Solar, gelding Kasztan, mare Funia and gelding Wiktor.

ANDA and Animals’ Angels inspect the market in Pola de Sierro and give the market management information materials on animal welfare at market for the market users, which were drawn up together with the RSPCA International and the Spanish market association ASEMGA. Overall many improvements have been made at market for the animals. There are still problems with access to water, the ground covering, the vehicles and in part with the treatment. Also, the veterinarians miss one cow, Dorotea, during the arrival inspection that is fit for transport to a limited degree only and should thus not have been brought to market. After ANDA and Animals’ Angels direct the veterinarians’ attention to Dorotea, she is examined and immediately taken to the nearest slaughterhouse.

Together with the Italian animal welfare organization LAV, Animals’ Angels conducts two training courses for approximately 70 police officers. We thank the officers for their commitment to the animals on the transporters.

Animals’ Angels was called to act as a testimony in the court process against certain individuals that on 26 June 2006 mistreated the downer cow Doris while loading her onto a truck at an animal market in Cuneo. Starting in 2005 and 2006 Animals’ Angels did a large and in depth investigation into the transport of downer bovines in Italy. We found out that many of the animals that can not walk on their own were being dragged onto the truck in order to be transported to the slaughterhouse. One of those animals was a cow that we named Doris. She was pushed, dragged, squeezed, stepped on and rolled into the lorry. She was also repeatedly shocked with an electric prod also on the most sensitive parts of her body, as the genital area. We brought the case to the court. The process is still going on. Hopefully the law will be on the animals’ side and the people held responsible for causing severe pain and suffering to Doris.

ANDA and Animals’ Angels inspect the market in Santiago de Compostela. The problems persist that the animals do not have access to water and that the floor is slippery in some places. The handling of the animals is also problematic at times. ANDA and Animals’ Angels give the market management information materials on animal welfare for the market users, which were drawn up together with the RSPCA International and the Spanish market association ASEMGA. Management has the materials distributed to the market users immediately. ANDA and Animals’ Angels will contact the competent authorities once again because of the existing deficiencies at the market.