Live animal exports are one of the many cruel aspects of animal agriculture. Every year, billions of animals are loaded onto vessels that are “outdated, extremely overcrowded, unsafe, unsanitary, and insufficient for adequately meeting the animals’ needs” for trips that can last anywhere from a few days to a few months. Animals are denied adequate clean food or water as well as protection from extreme temperatures or weather. As a result of such terrible conditions, there have been many cases of animals dying during exports due to heat stress, drowning, and painful illnesses. Those who survive are slaughtered upon arrival at the destination.

Source: Loren H./YouTube

Fortunately, some places are beginning to crack down on the cruel practice of live animal exports. Recently, England and Wales banned the export of live animals for slaughter abroad. Government members said that their intention is to “strengthen the UK’s position as a world leader on animal welfare” by “ensur[ing] that animals are spared stress prior to slaughter.” However, live poultry exports aren’t included in this ban even though around one million chickens die on transport trucks in England and Wales every year. They are kept in equally as awful of conditions as other animals – shoved into tiny, dirty trays, and stacked high on the backs of trucks without food, water, or temperature regulation for up to 12 hours.

Factory farms would rather one million chickens die of heatstroke, cold stress, dehydration, or physical trauma than pay for trucks that are able to regulate temperatures, cut down on travel time, or provide food and water. Thus, it’s vital that the government enforce stricter regulations until these animals are included in the complete ban of live animal exports. Sign this petition to demand that the UK’s Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) pass new, stricter regulations for the transport of live chickens!

To continue speaking up, sign these other petitions as well:

• Ban Live Animal Exports Throughout the European Union
• Help Sick Cows Stranded at Sea
• Uphold Ban on Exporting Live Animals During Australia’s Summer Months
• Tell the EU to do the right thing and ban all live animal exports to non-EU countries!

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