Protection of Animals against Cruelty: Transport of Cattle, Sheep, Goats and Pigs

The inspections carried out by the officers of the State Veterinary Administration (SVA) within the framework of surveillance of animal transport revealed that cases of violation of the principles of animal protection may and do occur. Therefore evaluation was made of transport in selected groups of cattle, sheep, goats and pigs in the Czech Republic during the period of 1996 to 2001. Each inspection was assessed using the following scale: (1) animal protection requirements fulfilled, (2) animal protection requirements partially fulfilled and veterinary measures for the improvement of animal protection imposed, (3) failure to fulfil animal protection requirements. The proportion of the situations of when animal protection requirements were partially met and veterinary measures were imposed to improve the level of protection in cattle varied between 0.00 % and 1.35 % of the total number of the inspections carried out. In sheep and goats this situation occurred only sporadically. In pigs the proportion was 0.22 % to 2.22 % of the total number of the inspections carried out. The proportion of the situations when failure to fulfil animal protection requirements in cattle occurred varied between 0.00 % and 0.83 % of the total number of the inspections carried out. In sheep this situation occurred in a single case only and in goats no such situation was recorded. In pigs the same proportion varied between 0.00 % and 3.31%. W