Live Export Doggy Style

I witnessed first hand the terrifying experience of live export, last night, where I brought Lucretius my scaredy cat foster dog on holiday! It took me three stops to encourage him to step out to stretch his legs. He was pinned to the side of the car, eyes wild with fear. Obviously the idea of a holiday was new to him. He pictured abandonment or being run over or some horror anyway. He had Cupid who was super confident to follow and me who he trusts!!

What and who do the cows have to curb the panic and put their minds at rest? No one is bringing them water and promising them a wonderful break with lots of love and affection bestowed on them at the other end ? They are going either to stand in a ship's hold for 12 days straight, claustrophobic as hell and cold or hot, but too cramped to do anything about anything. Then they will either die straight away at a slaughter house or be put in individual huts which they use for veal or chained in a barn. Chaining them also stops them developing too much muscle as they can't move around - which is what veal eaters want, I gather.

At my local Apple Green drivers leave the animals bawling and go home for a  good night's sleep.

Anyway, Lucretius is delighted with my parents and the set up here.. To give him his due, he didn't wee or worse or eat or drink for the whole umpteen hours in the car it took to get here. It really makes me feel for those farm animals though. Let's stop it! 

What can a kind dairy farmer do with the calves instead, is what I want to know? He couldn't export them, 2 weeks old unweaned, freezing to death, crowded with pneumonia and no food or water on a ship abroad. He couldn't give them as veal potential to be kept in isolation in darkness to produce light, unmuscled meat. He couldn't cart them off to market to someone to buy 100 at a time to raise for meat in miserable barns of wet straw, more antibiotic jabs and relentless ringworm to torment them for their short lives. Maybe 'sucklers' are the best. I think that is like a horse having a foal at foot. The calf stays with its mother for a few months. I wonder there must be a better situation possible. 

Comments 

Seamus Whitney Well said and done Frances Micklem. I'm on your side and hopefully your efforts will continue to inspire others. Enjoy Christmas in tune with the natural world around you. Seams.

Liselott Olofsson Hey Frances can I copy this and post it in my feed

Lucy Mizon Humane exploitation is a lie. Please don’t perpetuate that lie. Human Myth explained

Frances Micklem We're all trying to get people thinking here aren't we! I'm not perpetuating any lie or exploitation. I'm trying to get people to take a step or two in considering others in their purchases. Really a lot of people I have met have decided in a really blanket, black and white way that they don't want to give up even meat let alone eggs or dairy and are refusing to even look at ingredients or take any interest. People have to start by looking and seeing and then caring and then deciding not to perpetuate any of it. Even I gave up meat when it dawned on me, then fish a year later when it dawned on me, then eggs a few months later when it dawned on me, then dairy when I realized their situation, then honey, then I replaced all my leather tack for my horse and shoes. I want to inspire this rise of consciousness followed by the motivation to act on it. I'm sure there's a lot of people who, if they allowed themselves to consider the details of care and death would find that humane myth you mention would fall away!! And they'd find themselves making new choices and keep to them.

 

Lucy Mizon Frances Micklem but free range animals don’t have great lives for the short amount of time they’re allowed to be alive, and they all go to the same slaughterhouse regardless, so it’s not good to make people feel like they’re doing something good by buying into ‘welfare’ marketing.

Frances Micklem I certainly don't think any farm animals have great lives even with the meazly improvements in bedding and space required for organic standards or whatever...and don't start me on the five freedoms!!! The vet laughed in my face when I asked how they made sure animals on larger farms got their five freedoms. So anyway, Lucy, you know I agree with you and everyone knows I'm animal rights rather than animal welfare in that I stand for a no killing, no exploiting anyone or anything. I really don't believe my life is more important than any animal. Anyway, my post was intended to do the opposite of make people feel good about buying into marketing. I am always saying don't let anyone sell you anything! Always think about what is inside the packaging and how they suffered if not perished altogether to make the thing!! Thanks for interacting, it really opened up the topic more Fxx

Lucy's picture