No matter what animal it is, it is never okay to treat any living creature badly.
Unfortunately, it happens all the time.
Recently, secret footage by activists showed control post workers kicking, beating and violently shoving calves as young as two weeks old.
The video was shared as part of an investigation co-authored by French organisation L214 and Eyes on Animals, which works to ensure farm animals are given the protection they deserve according to European legislation.
The organization followed 23 Irish livestock on trucks to the French control post at Tollevast from March 14 – March 17, inspecting the conditions the animals were exposed to.
It was not a beautiful sight.
In a control post close to Cherbourg, 2500 calves were unloaded to be fed. Hungry and scared, they are handled impatiently and very roughly. Some are hit, pulled by their ears or kicked.
Take a look at the heartbreaking footage below. Warning: Distressing Content:
According to L214, cows give birth to a calf each year in the dairy industry.
Sadly, male calves are separated from their mother at birth. Male calves are considered to be a by-product and are separated from their mother at birth and sold for a low price to be raised for veal meat.
Over 100,000 calves each year are exported to mainland Europe. First they must take a 18 hour ferry crossing to France, where they are handled brutally. Often, they continue their long journey to Italy, Spain or the Netherlands where they are raised under intensive conditions and kept always indoors before being sent to the slaughterhouse.
The animals are supposed to find rest and feed at the French control post, but instead they can be seen being dragged around and thrashed by the workers with batons.
”It is heartbreaking to see how these vulnerable animals, still unstable on their legs and dependent on their mothers milk, undergo horrific violence during transport to the Dutch veal facilities”, said Nicola Glen, a spokeswoman for Eyes on Animals, when she spoked of the horrific findings:
”The Netherlands is the driving force behind this transport and Ireland is the main supplier. Both countries should be taking responsibility for the welfare of these calves”.
Why can’t they be handled with care and humane? They already give up their life in the end for food. The least anyone can do it treat them well before it happens. So sad.
