Dummy cow in front of the Brandenburg Gate: Protest against animal transport!

Dummy cow in front of the Brandenburg Gate: Protest against animal transport!

A striking signal against animal transport was set today in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin: animal protection activists have hung up an impressive dummy cow. At four meters high, the campaign symbolizes protest against the cruel conditions under which animals are often transported over long distances. This impressive demonstration took place as part of the International Day Against Animal Transport and was launched by the Four Paws organization, which has been campaigning for higher animal welfare standards for years. insuedthueringen.de reports that the dummy was installed with a crane and is a clear sign of a national ban on live animal transport, especially in states outside of the EU should set.

The background to this urgent demand is alarming. Long-distance transport of animals often only takes place for economic reasons rooted in intensive livestock farming. Here animals are bred in one country, raised in another and slaughtered in a third. These circumstances not only cause significant suffering but also raise questions about responsibility. The Four Paws organization emphasizes that many importing non-EU countries use zoologically questionable slaughter methods that often take place without anesthesia and are therefore in no way compatible with animal welfare. The global animal protection landscape shows that safety standards vary greatly in many countries, as tierschutzvereine.de also notes.

The real danger of animal transport

What happens to the animals on these long journeys? Many of them, including poultry, pigs, cattle, sheep and goats, are exposed to extreme conditions during transport. Not only do they suffer from stress, but they are also exposed to serious injury or even death. vier-pfoten.at explains that these long-distance transports have become more important primarily due to the centralization of slaughterhouses and the pursuit of minimizing production costs. This leads to animals being exported to other countries to be slaughtered in sometimes cruel conditions.

In view of these grievances, Vier Pfoten is not only calling for a ban on live animal transport to third countries, but also for a comprehensive improvement in transparency and stricter prosecution of animal welfare violations. Animal protection laws should urgently be aligned and strengthened to protect animals from such transport fates. These efforts show how important a collective effort for animal protection is, be it in the EU or beyond. It is up to us to have a good hand in the future of our animals and to stand up for their rights.