In the shadow of industrial agriculture, the plight of farm animals during transport remains a largely overlooked yet profoundly distressing issue. Each year, billions of animals endure grueling journeys under conditions that barely meet minimal standards of care. An image from Quebec, Canada, captures the essence of this suffering: a fearful piglet, crammed into a transport trailer with 6,000 others, unable to sleep due to anxiety. This scene is all too common, as animals are subjected to long, arduous trips in overcrowded, unsanitary trucks, deprived of food, water, and veterinary care.
The current legislative framework, embodied by the outdated Twenty-Eight Hour Law, offers scant protection and excludes birds entirely. This law only applies to specific scenarios and is riddled with loopholes that allow transporters to evade compliance with minimal consequences. The inadequacies of this legislation underscore the urgent need for reform to alleviate the daily suffering of farm animals on our roadways.
Thankfully, new legislation, the Humane Transport of Farmed Animals Act, aims to address these critical issues. This article explores the dire state of farm animal transport in the U.S. and highlights how compassionate practices, like those employed by Farm Sanctuary, can serve as a model for humane treatment. By supporting legislative changes and adopting better transport practices, we can significantly reduce the suffering of farm animals and promote a more humane agricultural system.
Julie LP/We Animals Media
Help Protect Farm Animals from Suffering During Transport
Julie LP/We Animals Media
Transportation is an overlooked but deeply troubling aspect of industrial agriculture. Each year, billions of animals are transported under harrowing conditions that fail to meet even minimal standards of care.
Animals face long and grueling journeys in all weather conditions on severely crowded and waste-filled trucks. They are denied the basic necessities of food and water, and sick animals don’t receive needed veterinary attention. Legislative reform is necessary to lessen the suffering that unfolds daily on our nation’s roadways.
Below, learn more about the current state of farm animal transport in the U.S. and how you can help to make a difference by supporting the Humane Transport of Farmed Animals Act.
- Overcrowding in loud and stressful vehicles that can cause physical distress and injury
- Extreme temperatures and poor ventilation
- Many hours of travel in unsanitary conditions without food, water, or rest
- Sick animals transported may contribute to the spread of contagious disease
Right now, the alarmingly inadequate Twenty-Eight Hour Law is the only legislation protecting farmed animals during transportation, and it excludes birds.
Julie LP/We Animals Media
- Only applies to travel directly to a slaughter facility
- Only applies to travel to and from Mexico or Canada for cows
- Excludes the nine billion birds slaughtered each year in the U.S.
- Excludes air and sea travel
- Transporters can easily avoid compliance completely
- Nominal penalties and virtually no enforcement
- Enforcing agencies, such as APHIS (USDA), do not prioritize animal welfare
In the past 15 years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has only made 12 inquiries into violations of the law, just one of which was referred to the Department of Justice. Thankfully, newly introduced legislation, the Humane Transport of Farmed Animals Act, seeks to address many of these critical issues.
Transportation with Compassion
In our rescue work, we sometimes need to transport animals, too. However, we bring animals to places of safety—never slaughter. Besides transporting animals safely to our New York and California sanctuaries, we have brought animals to trusted homes across the U.S. through our Farm Animal Adoption Network.
“There is no school of rescue,” says Mario Ramirez, Farm Sanctuary’s Director of Sanctuary Environment & Transport. Every rescue and every animal is different, he says, but there are some things we can always do to make transportation as stress-free as possible.
Below, Mario shares some of the ways that we transport with compassion:
- Check weather conditions as far in advance as possible so we can plan alternate dates as needed
- Get animals cleared as fit for transport by a veterinarian, and if they’re not, assess and plan for higher-risk transport
- Inspect the truck and equipment pre-transport
- Fill trailer with fresh bedding pre-trip and post-trip, disinfect trailer completely
- When ready to go, “load” animals last to minimize their time in a trailer
- Don’t overcrowd a trailer to avoid stress, injury, and overheating
- Provide access to food and water during travel
- Drive gently, not accelerating or braking quickly
- Stop every 3-4 hours so we can switch drivers, check on animals, and top off water
- Always bring a med kit and have someone on call for veterinary care
- Bring corral panels in case the vehicle breaks down and we need to build a “barn” on the spot
- In cold weather, provide extra bedding and close all vents
- Avoid extreme heat transports, except when necessary
- In hot weather, avoid peak heat hours, open all vents, keep fans running, provide ice water, make minimal stops, and only park in the shade
- Shut off the engine while parked to avoid fumes
- Keep a thermometer that we can check from the front of the truck
- Know animal behavior and signs of stress or overheating
- Plan overnight stays at other sanctuaries if needed
This is how one should transport any animal when necessary. Unfortunately, the conditions animals are forced to endure in animal agriculture are a far cry from the standards upheld by Farm Sanctuary and our dedicated transport teams.
Thankfully, legislation has been introduced to help ease the suffering farm animals endure in transit.
- Require the Department of Transportation and the USDA to develop a compliance monitoring mechanism for the Twenty-Eight Hour Law
- Prohibit the interstate transportation of animals who are unfit to travel and expand the definition of “unfit”
Farm Sanctuary is grateful to join the Animal Welfare Institute, the Humane Society Legislative Fund, and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in their efforts to support this critical legislation. You can help by taking action today.
Take Action
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Please speak up for farmed animals today. Use our handy form to urge your elected officials to support the Humane Transport of Farmed Animals Act.
Act Now
Notice: This content was initially published on FarmSanctuary.org and may not necessarily reflect the views of the Humane Foundation.
