Animal welfare organizations have raised serious concerns about the transport of lambs and sheep to Italy before Easter. They report dead animals, poor conditions, and a lack of proper checks at the borders with France and Slovenia.
Between April 7 and 17, Essere Animali, Animals’ Angels, Animal Welfare Foundation, and ENPA inspected 20 animal transport trucks. They found overcrowded vehicles, broken water systems, and animals unable to lie down or breathe properly due to low ceilings.
Three sheep and two lambs died during these journeys.
One truck carrying 300 sheep from Spain was stopped in Genoa. Police found a broken water system and overcrowding. Three sheep were later euthanized due to poor health.
The driver received only a fine for the broken water system despite several other violations, the animal welfare organizations said.
Lamb too weak to stand
In another case, a truck from France stopped in Piacenza with 400 lambs. One lamb was too weak to stand and was left lying next to the truck overnight with no medical care. The lamb died the next day.
The organizations also reported the deaths of two lambs on a 700-kilometer route where no police or veterinary checks took place.
The animal groups demand a strong new EU law to stop suffering during transport. They want shorter transport times and bans on long journeys to non-EU destinations. They also ask for special protection for fragile animals like unweaned lambs and calves.
Italy slaughtered over 328,000 lambs at Easter in 2024. In total, 1.5 million lambs were killed that year, many imported from Hungary, Romania, Spain, and France – some after trips lasting up to 30 hours.
Despite warnings and letters sent to the Italian government, no extra checks were done this year. The organizations said this shows that the Italian government does not prioritize animal welfare.
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