Dear aaa,
Separated from their mothers. Packed into cramped metal crates. Transported for fattening, and ultimately slaughter, on cold, shaking trucks.
This is the reality for more than 1.5 million calves transported across the EU every year.
As young as two weeks old, these vulnerable baby animals are taken from their mothers and forced into transport conditions they are too fragile to endure. Many calves become severely ill. Some don’t survive the journey at all.
But you can help stop this. |
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| A calf this young should be nursing up to ten times a day. Many of the calves transported are unweaned – still fully dependent on milk – yet, on transport trucks, feeding is effectively impossible. Even access to water isn’t guaranteed, as most drinking devices are not designed for such young animals. |
They suffer from extreme thirst, hunger, and exhaustion.
And the cruelty doesn’t stop there. Calves are routinely handled roughly during loading and unloading, causing both fear and injuries. Over 200 calves can be transported at once, often stacked on several levels. Too young to produce their own antibodies, they become sick quickly – diseases spread rapidly among animals mixed from many different farms.
In winter, calves endure hours in freezing temperatures – their bodies drenched as rain and icy winds cut through the metal bars of the trucks. With no warmth or way to escape the bitter cold, some freeze to death.
In summer, they are forced to endure the opposite extreme, where scorching temperatures and no proper access to water lead many to collapse and die from heatstroke. |
aaa, we cannot let this continue.
It's too late for the calves in these photos.
But it's not too late for 1.5 million more.
What is FOUR PAWS doing to stop this cruelty?
Together with NGOs and supporters like you, we are fighting to stop the transport of unweaned calves – starting with routes from Ireland to France – while promoting sustainable alternatives that help industries move away from live animal transport entirely.
On a legislative level, our persistent advocacy helped push the European Parliament to establish the Committee of Inquiry on the Protection of Animals during Transport – a vital step toward stronger animal welfare rules across the EU.
We are also running a petition calling for urgent changes to live animal transport within the EU to ensure animals no longer suffer unnecessarily. |
Your donations allow us to continue:
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Challenging the cruelty of live animal transport
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Pushing for stronger legislation
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Exposing violations
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Raising public awareness
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Working towards long‑term, humane solutions
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| Will you stand with us to protect 1.5 million calves transported across the EU every year? |
Your gift can change their fate – thank you for your compassion.
With gratitude,
Natalie Hood
International Fundraising Team |
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