Scandalous animal transports: Cattle suffer and die at the border!

Scandalous animal transports: Cattle suffer and die at the border!

An outcry is going through the animal protection scene, and this time the focus is on Brandenburg. The animal protection foundation Four Paws demonstrated at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin to draw attention to the grievances in animal transport. Especially in the last few months, there has been an increase in scandalous incidents that have once again brought the issue into the public eye. Particularly memorable is the transport that took place between September and October 2024, during which 69 pregnant cattle were sent on a 3,500-kilometer journey to the slaughterhouse under catastrophic conditions. Only half of the animals survived this ordeal.

The cattle, which came from Brandenburg and the neighboring federal states of Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, were approved by the Elbe-Elster district, even though it was already known at the time that bluetongue was raging in Germany. Again Berlin courier Reportedly, the transport was stopped at the Turkish-Bulgarian border by the authorities there. To be on the safe side, the cattle had to stay at the border for four weeks, often without the most necessary things - such as water. It is tragic that 21 animals died during this time, including eight cattle and 13 calves. The survivors ultimately had to be killed in the most brutal way.

Shocking results

The incident, which was highlighted in a documentary by Manfred Karremann in the ZDF format “37 Grad”, is not an isolated case. Another time two trucks carrying cattle were parked at the border, just two weeks after the first incident. Despite shocking reports, German farmers are using this transport route as a lucrative business by selling old dairy cows and calves. The Animal Welfare Foundation then reported the incident and is calling for a national ban on transporting live animals to third countries. Active members are already planning information campaigns to discuss the fate of the cattle during these transports in more detail.

There are political efforts to bring about a change. Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Cem Özdemir, sent a key issues paper to the EU Commission in February 2025 that calls for improvements in animal protection when live animals are exported to third countries. With the aim of preventing transports that violate animal welfare, exports should only be bound to agreements on animal welfare standards between Germany and the importing states, such as BMEL website explained.

Political and social responsibility

Minister Özdemir underlines the urgency of these measures after the EU Commission had already presented initial proposals for better animal welfare standards in December 2023, but without significant implementation. In the future, this should ensure that only transports are carried out where binding minimum standards are guaranteed in the third country. This also includes a ban on practices that violate animal welfare after long-term stays or when animals are killed.

Today's demonstration by Four Paws is a clear signal that the public does not want to look the other way. In times when there is increasing discussion about animal welfare and ethical farming, no one can turn a blind eye to such grievances. It is also the responsibility of each individual to stand up for animal protection and draw attention to these grievances. If you want to know what our cattle suffer during transport, you shouldn't miss Four Paws' campaigns.