Hamburg, July 12, 2023 – When animals are confined in vehicles during the summer, it can be deadly for them. This not only applies to pets, but also to pigs, cattle and poultry on live animal transports. Transport is already torture for the animals cooped up on trucks. Add to that the heat and lack of ventilation or insufficient drinking facilities in summer, and their suffering is unnecessarily aggravated. provides information on what attentive animal lovers can look out for when they spot animal transporters on the streets or rest areas.
Due to empty water tanks, non-functioning drinking troughs that are inaccessible or unsuitable for the animals, numerous animals die in agony again and again in animal transporters. Signs of thirst and dehydration are animals apathetic or licking the bars of the transporter. Pigs cannot sweat and regulate their body temperature in nature by rolling and wallowing, which is impossible on transport. As a result, they quickly suffer from heat stress, often resulting in death. Poultry animals cannot sweat either. During heat stress, they ‘pant’ through their open beak. They usually spread their wings to give off heat – but there’s no room for that in the cramped transporter.
Even if you do not have a clear view of the animals in the transporters, for example because of the tarpaulin, in order to recognize any irregularities, you should be vigilant when animal transporters are stuck in traffic or have broken down. This also applies to abandoned livestock transporters on fields or the motorway parking lot. In such cases, always check whether the driver only went for a short break or whether the vehicle has been parked there for a long time. Because stationary vehicles heat up quickly and the animals can die of shortness of breath or overheating.
If you see the animals are unwell, or if no one shows up within five minutes, give the license plate number and vehicle location to the police. You can also contact them if, for example, you see a moving truck loaded with animals with injured or even dead animals, or observe that animals are trying unsuccessfully to get to water troughs. If the vehicle is spotted on the freeway or at a freeway rest stop, it is best to call the responsible freeway police immediately. You can find the telephone number under the search term «motorway police» with the respective location on the Internet.
Secure Evidence: If possible, secure evidence. This includes photos and videos that document the abuse – i.e. recordings of the rear license plates of the trucks, the animals in the transporter or the water troughs. Your own willingness to act as a witness can also be an important addition. If you wish the statement to be treated confidentially, please inform the responsible clerk that you wish to remain anonymous.
Contact veterinary office: After you have informed the police, you can also hand over the evidence you have collected to the responsible veterinary office. The official veterinarians of the veterinary and food supervisory authorities of the respective districts are responsible, among other things, for checking and approving animal transport and also for on-site checks on the road based on specific information. In Lower Saxony there is an anonymous registration office offered by the animal health service LAVES. There you can report abuses that you have observed anonymously, which must then be investigated.
To file charges: You always have the option of reporting the transport company to the responsible police authority or directly to the public prosecutor’s office. Report an act, get a file number so you can later find out what happened.
Contact : After you have contacted the police, you are welcome to forward the case to . The Global Foundation for Animal Welfare is collecting sighted animal transport abuses to show that stricter laws and far more controls are needed. However, since we cannot stop an immediate grievance, it is therefore better to get help from the police directly in acute cases and, if necessary, to inform the veterinary office.
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You can find more information about animal transport here.