8hours Campaign Goes the Distance to End Inhumane Animal Transports

Adolfo Sansolini, Coordinator for the 8hours campaign, shared with me the story of Antoine, a young bull on a recent transport truck from France to Morocco. The itinerary covered a total of three trucks, one with 60 bull calves and the other two with 4 or 5 adult bulls for breeding. The route would take a travel time of over 62 hours, or 2.5 days.

A day after departure, the trucks reach the first control post in Spain. Despite adequate space, fresh water and food, many of the calves were suffering from respiratory problems. Antoine was observed lying down and foaming at the mouth.

Arriving 1.5 hours late, the veterinarian quickly determined that Antoine was not fit for travel and would remain at the control post for observation. The vet also noted that Antoine was most likely not fit for transport at time of departure. Ten minutes later, Antoine was dead.

Antoine’s story is only one of 50 billion animals slaughtered each year. Across the European Union, an alarming number of livestock still travel for days at a time to reach the slaughterhouse. The 8hours campaign aims to change current EU legislation to limit transport of animals for slaughter to eight hours. "[The campaign] has the potential to bring to an end additional and easily avoidable suffering of millions of farmed animals in Europe,” said Adolfo. 

A collaborative effort between Animals’ Angels and Danish Member of European Parliament (MEP) Dan Jørgensen, the 8hours campaign’s goal is to raise awareness of the cruel reality of extended transport and see changes in European regulations through legislation.

Active in animal welfare causes since the age of 11, Adolfo was honored to be given the opportunity to work again with Animals' Angels. “The achievement of a maximum 8-hour limit will constitute a major step forward for animal welfare in Europe and in other countries that trade in live animals with the European Union,” he told me.

At the end of September, the European Commission will produce a report on the impact of Regulation 1/2005 (pdf), the current legislation on animal transport. This report has the opportunity to propose new legislation for updated transport legislation.

The 8hours campaign strives to deliver 1 million petition signatures by then to serve as “a loud wake-up call to the European institutions, reminding them that citizens reject the additional suffering currently being inflicted on many farmed animals.”

Animals’ Angels has brought their campaign to Change.org to increase awareness of their goal to limit animal transport to 8 hours. Sign and share the petition to help the 8hours campaign reach their goal.

Photo Credit: Animals' Angels and ANDA