Published 28/04/2014

A Freedom of Information request by The Times newspaper has revealed that on the 10th January 367 sheep made a 1,300 mile journey from Dover to Romania.

Compassion’s Chief Policy Advisor, Peter Stevenson said “This is a particularly worrying development.

“Taking animals on vast journeys across Europe is totally unnecessary and leads to a great deal of suffering.”

The sheep were transported across the Channel on a converted Soviet tank carrier, the Joline, which Compassion believes is unsuitable to transport animals.

It has been suggested that the sheep were being transported for breeding purposes. However, as far as we are aware, breeding animals are not typically transported on the Joline. It is possible that the sheep travelled 1,300 miles just to be slaughtered.

Romania is one of Europe’s biggest exporters of live animals beyond Europe. Our recent investigation with Animals Australia documented Romanian and Australian animals being slaughtered in Gaza in the most brutal manner.

Australia has suspended all trade to Gaza, but Romania continues to export live animals to horrifying slaughter conditions.

Compassion is concerned that British sheep exported to Romania, or their offspring, could be transported outside of the EU to face the same fate.