The market of Pancota is one of the biggest markets Animals’ Angels has been inspecting in Romania. Many horses, pigs, cattle, goats and sheep as well as birds are sold. The people are coming from the vicinity but also from longer distances to bring their animals.
The majority of the vehicles used for transport are passenger cars, vans and some trucks. A few traders buy cattle and horses to sell them to slaughterhouses, but the rest of the users buy animals for private consumption.
The pigs are grabbed by their legs and carried upside down from a vehicle to another, so are the goats by their shackled legs. Their face lies on the ground so that they are forced to breathe the dirt moved by the crowd and the vehicles passing by. The animals are exposed to the sun at 30° C that morning. The sheep and the goats are visibly exhausted panting with their mouth open. Therefore the inspectors of Animals’ Angels decide to set an example to the people by going to the tap with bottles and plastic cups. They give water to all the goats and sheep which are eagerly drinking, leaving the owners surprised of such an easy action.
After the complaints sent by Animals’ Angels since 2013, the veterinary authority and the police carried out some checks, issued 42 sanctions and ordered the administration to comply with the legislation.
Despite that, nobody is regularly present to check the animals and enforce national and European law. For this reason things do not change.
Animals’ Angels will claim to close this market.
