Animal transport scandal: Cattle suffer at the border with Türkiye!

Animal transport scandal: Cattle suffer at the border with Türkiye!

There is currently a lot of pressure being applied in Berlin: the animal protection foundation Four Paws demonstrated at the Brandenburg Gate against the ongoing animal transports. The reason for this is one of the worst incidents in the history of animal transport, which occurred between September and October 2024. 69 pregnant cattle were sent from Brandenburg on a 3,500 kilometer journey to the slaughterhouse under appalling conditions Berlin courier reported.

The cattle came from different federal states and were originally intended to be transported to Turkey. But the Elbe-Elster district approved this transport, even though it was already informed about the dangers of bluetongue in Germany. The transport was finally stopped by the Turkish authorities at the Turkish-Bulgarian border. The reason: Germany was no longer considered disease-free, and the animals then had to endure terrible conditions for four weeks, often without water, while 21 animals, including 8 cattle and 13 calves, died while waiting.

A negligent permit

Although all drivers had the necessary documents, including a certificate from the Elbe-Elster district veterinarian, the responsible office described the transport as unproblematic. These failed controls make it clear that there is a huge mess in the bureaucracy, as Thomas Schröder, President of the German Animal Welfare Association, criticizes. “We have to ask ourselves how things could get this far,” says Schröder, who also sees that the structural and organizational responsibilities between the federal government, the EU and the states are not clearly regulated.

After the incident, the responsible federal minister, Cem Özdemir, was also “shocked” and announced that changes to the law would be discussed in the coming weeks. In the coalition agreement, the traffic light government promised to only allow live animal transport to third countries under animal welfare conditions. Yes, like that Animal Welfare Association notes, such regulations are not anchored in the current draft of the new animal protection law.

A recurring problem

The incident last year is by no means an isolated incident. After the cattle at the border, transport trucks carrying cattle suffering from similar conditions were again found. The Animal Welfare Association and other activists are therefore emphatically calling for a national ban on live animal transport to third countries. The transport measures are a lucrative business for many German farmers to sell old dairy cows and calves, but at what price?

The fight for animal welfare continues. Four Paws activists are planning an extensive information campaign to raise awareness of the fate of the cattle during these transports. It remains to be hoped that something will happen soon in politics so that such tragedies can be avoided in the future.