International: Study finds vague laws are undermining animal welfare during transport

A group of international academics conducted an evaluation of existing regulations in the EU (including the United Kingdom), US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to see if existing legislation effectively protects livestock during transportation. The team focused on four principal aspects: journey duration, fitness for transport, climatic conditions and space allowances. The study, published in Royal Society Open Science, revealed that every scrutinized country had room to enhance their animal welfare policies. Notably, the existing regulations had significant shortcomings, such as the absence of a maximum travel time for all animals, resulting in extended transit periods lasting days or even weeks. Additionally, although some nations require periodic rest stops, the durations are often too brief to provide substantial recovery for the animals. The researchers are calling on countries to update their transport regulations to provide better protection animals.